Victory in the darkest hour

In The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe there is a very dark night when Aslan gives himself to the Witch to be killed in the place Edmond, the one that had betrayed him. The witch threw her dagger down into Aslan and thought she had won. Finally her day of victory had come.

Last night was like that at the shoe shiner Bible study. We had prayed and fasted for Freddy, the brokenhearted drunk we’ve been trying to minister to. We prayed hard for him and I truly believed big things were beginning to happen in Freddy’s heart. The next day Freddy showed up drunker than I think I’ve ever seen anybody and he disrupted the Bible study the whole way through. The suffering crawled all over his face as he grinded his teeth and tried to spill out his hurting heart all over the table in garbled speech in the middle of Randy's talk. I think the forces that have a grip on his life were rejoicing in their day of victory... for the prayer they had overcome and beaten... for the other shoe shiners they were distracting... for bringing Freddy into these depths of hopelessness.

But in my heart I was rejoicing. I think the enemy has slipped up. He went to far. In his zest to ruin Freddy’s life and discourage all of us by it, he messed up. During the whole Bible study I was at Freddy’s side. Whispering truth and love into his ears. My hand was constantly on his back and I whispered and prayed Jesus’ name and God’s protection over him over and over.

The thing about Christians is that when no hope seems to be left in this world, when Freddy shows up drunker than he has ever been the night after we prayed and fasted for him as if God doesn't exist, we still have hope. We believe God works through us to use the depths of brokenness to bring new victory. When it seems all is lost, when Aslan has been slain on the stone table, we believe a deeper magic is at work.

The enemy messed up because Freddy got to see that we will not desert him. The others in the Bible study now see that we will not desert them when they are at their worst. We will stick by their side with our hands on their backs while we whisper love and protection into their ears. The enemy slipped up. Now we have seen him. He slipped up because now we know what we have to overcome. He threw everything he could at us. And we still weren’t broken. We turned it around for good. We will pray more, and fast more, for Freddy’s spirit and we now know the strength of the enemy, and we know our God is stronger.

Lord, Jesus, I thank you for this day. I thank you for being the stronger magic. I thank you for hope that we will win even after the enemy thought he has won. I thank you for Freddy.

I had this image come into my head this morning. Singing with a multitude of people in front of the throne. I looked over and saw Freddy, smiling at my side. Maybe we will be there together some day.

Last night Freddy left early and I followed him. I made sure that he got into a taxi to take him home. He said, don't stay, I'll make it home. I said, I'm not going to leave you. I want to get you home where it is safe. I don't want to get another call from you saying you're drunk on the streets and need help again.

We did get a call from him this morning. About 9:15 he called. It was the first time in a few days that I had talked to him when he wasn't drunk. He had called to apologize to us.

God, this is how you work through the hearts of men. While our enemy hits us with a barrage from the outside, you change our hearts from within. You meet us in our most private, and often most broken place and you say, guess what? I'll still die for you. You wanna hang out with me for a while?