by Robin M Helm
And He will tell us what we need to know when the time is right, thought Michael.
~~oo~~
Xander and Elizabeth left immediately after classes were over on Friday to join the rest of the SoulFire team in the caravan to Jacksonville, Florida, with Michael and Gabriel flying overhead. Xander had driven to Elizabeth’s house the evening before so that they could pack their things in his Escalade, wanting to be on the road as soon as possible. They knew that they had a long ride before them if they were to reach Jacksonville and their hotel before eleven o’clock. Though it would be an extremely busy weekend, both he and Elizabeth saw it as a welcome time of spiritual refreshment, as well as an opportunity to spend some time alone together before the final flurry of wedding activities. They realized that they would also be busy with their final required projects due and comprehensive exams administered at the rapidly approaching end of the school semester. Free time would be at a premium. Xander actually looked forward to the drive, because he would have Elizabeth all to himself for at least six glorious hours, traveling both to and from the rally.
They had taken the exit to I-95 and merged with weekend traffic when Elizabeth stopped humming, looked at her fiancé’s relaxed profile, and spoke hesitantly. “We need to talk about something.”
He glanced at her, and then looked back at the road. “This sounds serious, Elizabeth. I know that you have been keeping your thoughts from me by humming. What do you wish to discuss?”
He noticed the color rise in her cheeks and smiled. “Elizabeth, are you embarrassed? We will be married before long. There is nothing which you cannot tell me, surely.”
Gabriel asked Michael, Has she been worried about something?
Michael laughed easily. Yes, but Xander will soon put her mind at ease.
Xander heard the exchange and relaxed, waiting for her to speak.
“I wondered how you feel about birth control,” she said quietly.
Birth control? “I have not thought of it. What are your feelings?” he asked.
“Do you want to have children immediately, or do you wish to wait for a year or two?” she asked.
Xander was flummoxed. He had never thought about controlling such a thing. His mind raced through the years of her lifetime, and he remembered that Elizabeth’s mother, Lynne, had used a birth control method called “the pill,” so he supposed it was acceptable to her parents; however, he did not want to prevent the conception of his children. But I will not be the one carrying the children or giving birth. We should talk about it.
“Elizabeth, I need to know your thoughts before I answer your question. I would like for us to discuss this without your being influenced by my ideas before we even begin,” he said.
“Lucifer intends for Gregory to be the Anti-Christ, doesn’t he?” she queried.
“Yes, he does, but I do not understand what that has to do with our use of birth control,” he answered.
“If Lucifer is successful, we will be raptured soon, leaving this earth to meet Jesus in the air, and then the tribulation will come, followed by the Millennium,” she said, referring to her theological belief, supported by I Thessalonians 4:13-17, that believers would be taken from the earth and transported to heaven before the time of tribulation foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24 and seen by John in the book of Revelation. “According to my understanding of dispensational theology, the seven year tribulation, foretold by the prophet Daniel, will be followed by the Second Coming of Christ to the earth, the Battle of Armageddon, and the Millennium, or the thousand year reign of Christ on Earth from the New Jerusalem.”
He was puzzled by the direction of her thoughts. “Yes, your theology is sound, but God has said that He will not allow Lucifer to force His hand.”
“Are you sure that God was talking about the end times when He said that?” She looked at him, her eyes piercing and bright.
Intuitive, thought Gabriel.
“I assume that is what He was referring to, but it is possible that He was speaking of something else. ‘His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways,’” Xander answered, still puzzled.
“Xander, I know that I am only eighteen, but the end of this age could be very near, and I have always wanted to marry and have a child before I depart this life and receive my glorified body.” She paused a moment, and then drawing a deep breath, exhaled her next words in a rushed, but very determined manner. “I want to have your baby now, because I will be unable to have children in heaven. Is that wrong of me? Am I selfish to be worried about what I want instead of what will happen to the world if Lucifer succeeds? Our children would go to heaven with us, so would it be wrong to bear children so near to what could be the end of the world as we know it?” she asked, her sincerity ringing in every syllable.
He smiled broadly. “Elizabeth, you always thrill and amaze me. If you are selfish, then so am I, for I want us to have children together, too. I want us to have all the children that God chooses to give us whenever He sends them. Becoming parents will not stop us from serving Jehovah Adonai. In fact, I think that loving our children will make our passion for serving God and bringing souls into His kingdom even more urgent. Children will enhance our ministry and our marriage. We will want to fight evil even more, to make the world a better place for them.”
“That’s true, but I will become heavy and awkward, with swollen feet and a puffy face. Will you still love me when I’m nine months pregnant and no longer pretty?” she teased, stroking his jaw line with her fingers.
He turned his head to kiss her fingers. “My love, there will never be a time when you are not beautiful to me. ‘Pretty’ will always be inadequate to describe you, in my opinion. And once I marry you, ‘what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.’ You will be mine, and nothing will ever stop me from loving you or take you from me, in this life.” Xander spoke each word with great satisfaction and conviction.
“I think you enjoyed saying that, and I like the way you said ‘mine,’” she said, smiling. “You will be mine, too. I Corinthians 7:4 says, ‘The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.’”
“Actually, I greatly look forward to being yours in every way, Elizabeth,” he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement.
“Just six more weeks. It doesn’t seem possible, does it?” Her eyes were dreamy.
“At this moment, six weeks seems an eternity. But, the time will pass, and we will enjoy our honeymoon away from everyone who knows us. Forty-two days to go,” he said, getting a little dreamy himself.
Watch the road, thought Michael.
She sat up. “Speaking of our honeymoon, I am really curious about this surprise trip you have planned. Can’t you give me just a hint of where we’re going? I need to know what kind of clothes to pack, after all.”
He laughed at her. “Your mom, Janna, and Charlotte will handle your packing. This is going to be a surprise. If I start giving hints, you will soon guess our destination. You have your secrets and surprises, and I have mine.”
Gabriel smiled. She will love it.
She leaned over to kiss his ear. “Can’t I convince you to tell me even one tiny thing about our trip? Just one? Please?”
He turned his face and caught her lips in a quick kiss, keeping his eyes on the highway. “You can possibly cause me to run off the road if you do not stop, but I will give you no information. Having you kiss me like that is a sweet torture – not the most effective means of making me yield this particular secret to you.”
Elizabeth settled back into her seat with a smug expression, one hand twirling a long curl. “I have forty-two days in which to wear you down, Xander. That’s over one thousand hours. Never underestimate the power of a determined woman.”
“I would never do that with you, Elizabeth. I well know your power over me and respect it. You are formidable, and I recognize that, which is why you will not suc
ceed in getting our destination out of me,” he replied with a laugh.
“How do you do that?” she asked in exasperation.
“Do what, love?” he returned with a raised eyebrow.
“How do you succeed in making whatever you say about me sound like a compliment?” Her smile belied her accusation.
His reply was simple. “Because I love everything about you.”
She threw her hands in the air. “You win. I surrender. There’s no way I can top that. The honeymoon will be your secret and my surprise.”
He smiled and remained quiet, graciously accepting his victory as he reached for her hand.
They drove for a few minutes in companionable silence. When Xander spoke again, his voice was grave.
“Elizabeth, Charlotte has discovered that I can read minds,” he said.
“What?!” exclaimed Elizabeth, quickly turning her face toward him. “When did she figure that out? Not that I’m really all that surprised. Char has always been very perceptive, and she seems to have grown even more discerning in the past year. I never could keep a secret from her for very long.”
“She has suspected it for some time now, but she tricked me when we were having dinner after the tux fitting. Charlotte called my name in her mind, and I looked at her before I thought about it. It was only for a second, but that was long enough for her to know that I could ‘hear’ her. She has noticed our silent communication in the past, and she rightly concluded that I was the one hearing everyone’s thoughts. It is now one of her goals to determine how you know what I am thinking. She does not yet understand that I can speak into the minds of others,” he said.
Elizabeth looked at the passing scenery and smiled as she thought of her friend. “She will eventually come to that conclusion on her own. At the very least she will conclude that you can speak into my mind. Why haven’t you told me this earlier?”
“We have had very little time together alone,” he replied with a grimace. “I have not wanted to spend the short time that we have had discussing Charlotte,” he added with a sheepish smile, and then continued with his former solemnity. “In addition, I had to pray about the best course of action to take. This is a serious matter, not to be dealt with lightly.”
“I don’t like the idea that you are keeping things from me. Could we not have prayed together?” she asked, looking back at him to see his slight frown.
He breathed deeply. “Yes, normally I would have shared this with you for us to pray about during our devotional times, and after we are married, I hope that we will be as one in all things. But this matter goes beyond us; it was not my decision to make. Just as I could not reveal myself as an angel to you until I was sure that the time was right, I cannot tell anyone else anything that might cause them to wonder whether or not I am a normal human. I am convinced that neither Charlotte nor anyone else should be told that I am a dual nature. That information would lead to more questions, and I am not at liberty to give anyone except for you those answers.
“In II Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul talks of a man who ‘was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.’ In Revelation 10:4, John reveals that he was instructed thus, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them.’ There are certain things that should not be spoken of until God chooses to reveal them Himself. People know that there are angels around them, and they even know that spiritual warfare is waged constantly. The Scriptures tell them that. But they do not really think of it in the same terms as we do – as a reality that is dangerous to them. Angels fight on the behalf of believers, but we do not show ourselves as angels during this period of time. If humans truly knew what was happening around them, they would have no rest, they would never sleep, and they would be anxious constantly. God keeps this information from people for their own peace of mind.”
Elizabeth nodded her understanding. “You’re right. I have seen enough myself to know that the knowledge must be carefully guarded. Had I known that Gregory and Cassandra were demons, I could not have acted normally around them. Had I known that you were an angel, I would have been afraid of you as well. Humans fear what they do not understand, and some things are best left unsaid. If God had wanted humans to be aware of angels and demons, He would have made you visible to us at all times.”
Exactly, thought Michael.
Gabriel looked at him. I told you she was very astute. Charlotte is not the only one who is discerning, though she is particularly gifted in that area.
Xander smiled gratefully, glancing quickly at her. “It would also be very difficult for me to do the work that God has planned for me if people knew what I am. I would become a sideshow and would distract people from God rather than point them to Him.”
“That’s true, too. Back to the original question. What do you want to do about Char?” asked Elizabeth.
“I think that if we do not answer this question of Charlotte’s, her mind will naturally leap to her own conclusions. She may end up with even more questions if we are evasive,” he answered.
“You seem to know her very well,” Elizabeth said with a laugh. “Trying to keep a secret from Char just makes her dig harder for her own answers. What are your plans?”
“I feel the Spirit leading me to talk to Charlotte and Jonathan together. You and I will tell them that I can read the thoughts of those around me, and that I can speak my thoughts into the minds of others. All four of us have been gifted in unusual ways by God, so I think they will accept what I plan to tell them and ask no further questions. God is very good at preparing people for what He wants them to know. I believe that, like you, they will use the information to communicate privately. Though I have had no need to tell you before this time, you may be surprised to know that I can ‘speak’ into all of your minds together at once, just as I can ‘speak’ to all angels present or all guardians at the same time, or I can ‘speak’ to one or two angels without the others hearing. This actually may be a very useful tool for us. Demons can hear us, both angels and humans, when we speak aloud, but they cannot hear our thoughts. If I know demons are present, including Gregory or Lucifer, I can ‘speak’ into your minds, and they will not know what we are saying. What is your opinion?” he asked.
“I think your idea is brilliant and inspired by God Himself. The truth is always the best option,” Elizabeth replied.
“Good. It is settled then,” he answered with satisfaction.
I cannot like this, but I know that you are right, Xander, thought Michael.
It will be well, replied Gabriel.
~~oo~~
The caravan pulled into the parking lot of the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk around 10:30 Friday evening. The hotel had been chosen because it was less than a mile from the Veterans Memorial Arena, which was the venue for the rally. Crew members in vans followed the semis to the arena so that they could bring the drivers back to the hotel after they parked the vehicles for the night.
Because it was fairly early, Xander asked Jonathan and Charlotte if he and Elizabeth could talk to them privately. Jonathan offered the use of his suite, and after putting their luggage into their rooms, the four of them, accompanied by their guardians and warriors, assembled in his room.
They pulled chairs around the small table in the room and seated themselves while Lexus, Edward, Michael, and Gabriel took stances behind their charges. The warriors stationed themselves at the windows, constantly scanning for demonic spies.
After Jonathan led the group in prayer, he lifted his head and looked at Xander expectantly. “Xander, you wanted to talk to us?”
“Yes, Jonathan. Charlotte, as you know, is very observant. She has the gift of discernment, and she has noticed something about Elizabeth and me that we think should be made open in this group only. No one else can know about this except the four of us. Agreed?” asked Xander.
Lexus turned his face to Michael. Are you certain that this is the correct course of action?
Michael looked at him steadily. I believe that Xander is being led by the Almighty in this.
Lexus nodded, his expression carefully neutral.
Jonathan smiled, “Usually I don’t like to agree to anything without knowing what it is beforehand; however, I think in this case, I will. Whatever you say will be held in the strictest confidentiality.”
Xander looked at Charlotte. She smiled. “I knew I was right. You can hear all of our thoughts, can’t you, Xander?”
Jonathan looked at him in surprise. “What? Is Charlotte right?”
Xander kept his gaze level. “She is, and she knows that there is more, though she hasn’t quite figured it all out yet. Rather than play games with the two of you, I think that I will share the information so that we can use it in our ministry.”
“Good, because I have been thinking of this for months,” answered Charlotte, eyes bright with curiosity. “I know that you can hear all of our minds, but how do you communicate with Elizabeth without speaking? I have known her well enough and long enough that I would have noticed if she could read my mind. Can you project your thoughts into her mind?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Very good, Char. We have tried to be careful and discreet, but you are too savvy for us.”
Jonathan shifted in his chair uncomfortably, remembering how often he had thought of Charlotte around Xander.
Xander smiled at him, saying, “Jonathan, your mind is godly and pure. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“But I am human, with human desires and thoughts. This is too much to think about so quickly. How far does your gift extend?” asked Jonathan.
Xander was silent for a moment, organizing his thoughts. “I can read the minds of all people who are within a few miles of me, though I am well-practiced at choosing what is important and blocking the rest. As far as speaking into minds, I can speak into the minds of everyone at once, one person only, or any number of people with whom I choose to speak.” I can ‘speak’ so that the three of you can hear it, but no other people can.
Shock registered on the faces of Jonathan and Charlotte, though Elizabeth only smiled at the demonstration.