Satan Tries To Strike

*** Satan Tries to Strike *** By the house, By the door coming in across the floor To kneel by my bed, My guardian angel came Carrying ways to hold the peace of our Lord, To restore the joy in my morn… And, to wait no longer, but help to wake me from a detestable dream, from my mounting dis-ease, As that night’s alarming sleep’s theme About so many of my beloved gathered at a kind of happy feast… Where, as I stood peeking around a door, They halted their revelry When I was seen By the all of them — my family, enjoying a re-union (like many in years of decades before) Although here When they all turned Smiling To invite me in, With their opening, outstretched arms To guide me over, and with my dear grandma’s calling, “Come here with us, Sally! Come!” I woke at that — jarred, stricken, as I realized That the every one of my dear ones there From my life Were only the dead! Which alarmed me to sit straight up in my bed out of that sleep! Shaking my head, shouting, “Stop! Stop! I won’t go! I’m scared!” I discerned quickly that what I’d seen was founded in my fear, Because my next major surgery was almost here, Just days away, and would be My fifth general anesthesia in four months. (Way too many!) With “going under” having for me a history Of difficulties — from days of hallucinations afterward to most recently, when in the midst of the procedure, A drop in my blood pressure caused a week-long coma. Thus, with the prospect of another operation’s nearing its Scheduled day, it caused my body and soul some weak Points — which in later anxious hours, I saw Were the embattled places where my fears had been Used by the enemy As unlocked doorways leading into my being. I felt unhinged, quite because Satan had used my deep love of family In a horrifying masquerade, A,false vision of an afterlife he thought I’d greet Excitedly? And when unconscious in sleep, That I’d be vulnerably moved into denying My obedience to God? That I’d Respond to his use of my fear of dying “before my time,” By a giving in to his enticing lies? Give up my beliefs, My faith in Our Christ Jesus, whom I hold supreme? With Satan needling me to answer instantly the invitation Wrenching me from my fight to survive? Tempting me away from my steadfast path Of purpose as God’s daughter, re-deemed — Unto that last, destined by God’s design, day of my life? As starlights dim, As moonbeams fall Over my roof Crossing to set over one horizon And the sun’s rise bringing heaven’s light Up from the other, Clearly near, ready to Shine through my window Into my room Across the floor Glimmering rays Across my bed Exposing the truth Of my guardian angel kneeled by me there, Still praying psalms for my soul To be kept in peace and Far away From dreams using masquerades; Askilng, too, that evil leave all my anxious, ailing days… So God’s promises and blessings Might grace my way… Adding sweetly, profoundly Into the air “Holy! Holy is Our Lord! So Greatly to be thanked and praised!” —————————————————————- (c) sally young eslinger 10/18-12/6/2022 ***please note, Every word, every line of this poem is true. It was an actual dream I had in a time of extremely high anxiety due to a true history of harsh reactions to general anesthesia. I have also never been one to blame evil for bad things that happen, but my departed relatives would NEVERcoax me to cross into death — or, go into anesthesia without fighting to live through it, which is how one goes into major surgery. Thank you for reading Thanks be to God…