royalty... dressed in disguise

Tennessee was wonderful! The whole three days of being gone, I felt as if I had been on the mountaintop - called to be there alone with God. And as I told Tim when I got home, as the miles flew by it seemed even that the nose of my vehicle was kept pointed in a downward position at my downward decline. I felt like I was descending from the heavenlies. And with my descent in my fast fury, I felt as if I could actually see my heavenly apparel being ripped and pulled off by the wind, as I again was sentenced (perhaps wrong word?) to don my earthly garments. I literally cried when I left. And I told God before I did through the whisper of my voice and the shake of my head, "I don't wanna go!" And I felt He said to me that there's work to be done on the battlefield that can't be accomplished here. "But just one more day, Lord?" I asked. To which He replied, "Tomorrow will be no easier. You'll go today." “Yes Lord, I'll go today then." But I soooo wanted to stay!

So with my return, the vision I had over the miles was as if I could actually see the fast motion of me returning back here... to this earthly soiled sod from my mountainous ascent. Being re-clothed for the country that I was being sent back to. Warned on the way that it's a battle, a war is to be fought, a victory to be won. Sent back to sacrifice my life too, as Christ did His, so that others could be saved. Freedom had set me free, and now Freedom sent me to set more captives free.

It was the weirdest ‘seeing’ that I felt privileged to see. It was as if I could actually hear the wind's rush and the wind's sound - Whhhhhhh! Whhhhhhh! Whhhhhhhhhh! --- there goes the tiara, there goes the robe, there goes the glass slippers, there goes piece by piece the royal attire. And with my disrobing I felt as if someone were next to me hollering: "Here, put these on," in a hurried yell. And thrusting my earthly clothes at me (my warrior robes opposed to my royal ones - because I was leaving the heavenlies to head into battle) I had to put them on! For it's here on earthly soil where Heaven's eternity is fought for! I was sent back to continue my part in its war. Sent back to continue to fight for freedom - where freedom's never free! Sent back to do my part in fighting the enemy to win freedom for the captives of this country. Sent back to recapture and release again the prisoners of war. Sent back - to give my life for theirs! Sent back - to die so that others could live. Sent back in service to my King, because my assignment lies here, there's work to be done. And just as importantly, as well, God is not finished with me yet!

I had to don these warrior clothes (a hard thing to wear after feeling so pretty in the robes I wore); but I was glad to shed my royal robes for the Kingdom's sake, so that my King might could use me to robe another!

One day my Prince will come and I'll see Him - riding in on His white horse! He'll dress me in robes of splendor too spectacular to tell. And He'll take me to His Kingdom where He's made a place for me to live. I'll ascend to the Heavenlies with Him.... never ever again having to descend and be stripped of the robes that He's dress me in. Until then, I'll serve Him in civilian clothes... an alien for now in a foreign land. God will continue to chisel away in me what needs to be chiseled. He'll refine me in fires to bring out impurities. He'll test my faith in order to grow it. And He'll use this broken-messed-up-ransomed-and-redeemed vessel to continue to do more of His work in.

"Meanwhile, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling...

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened,

because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."

2 Cor 5:2-4