CHAPTER 18
THE SOUND OF THE LOW PRESSURE force moved in low over the roofs of the cabins. Leaving the barn to check on the others, Jasper leaned into the pressing winds where he used his arms to shield his eyes from the stinging hail and snow. Trudging his way from one cabin to the next, Jasper told each person. “I’m going to stay in the barn. It would be a good idea for everyone to join me there also.”
Awkward silences caused Jasper to suspect the people were still upset with him. He also felt they blamed him for the storm since he predicted it. Returning to the barn, Jasper couldn’t even warm up next to the fire before the Angels appeared around him.
“Jasper,” Starr said, “The time has come when you must bring the others here. The storm is going to grow far too dangerous. If you don’t go out and get them they will perish.”
The situation was quickly escalating when Jasper saw the urgency in the Angel’s eyes. He took Starr’s warning seriously.
Running back out into the frigid cold, Jasper collected everyone from their cabins. The people argued about the cold wind’s sting, but Jasper convinced them all to follow him anyway. Jasper could see Demons racing in the currents of the escalating winds. They were antagonizing the storm. Instructing the others to wrap blankets around them-selves to shield and protect their bodies from the vicious bite of the cold wind, they all walked in single file through the windy path. Within the wide spacious barn, a large bon-fire rose up to a clay opening on the ceiling which allowed the smoke to escape. The spectacular fire in the barn was worth battling the snow storm through. The group relaxed a little easier and they smiled more knowing they weren’t alone and warmer.
The storm outside picked up strength and in its fury they heard the cracking and creaking of tall trees and limbs. The winds worsened with a rising howl that shook the ground and sped up every heart. The storm continued growing flattening the forest down around them. With the roof of the barn threatening to lift off, Jasper left the others at the fire to tend to the animals.
“Wow, a little stinky in here, but it sure is warm.” Bobby said as he looked around to take in the magnificent space within the rustic lean-to barn. Bits of bark and dirt were shaken loose from above. In Tessa’s nightmares, it felt like a giant evil creature outside was clawing and scratching to get in.
“Mommy, I’m scared.” Tessa said to Megan as she squeezed her delicate little hand tightly.
“It’ll be okay, child. Don’t worry.” Megan replied to comfort her daughter.
Another belching noise rippled through the barn and more bits of dirt with snow fell from the ceiling.
“This must have been kind’a like it was when Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days.” Pastor Reed said.
“I hope we don’t have to be here for three days though.” Tanya responded with a worrisome look on her face.
“My blanket is wet.” Janet pointed out.
“Hang them near the fire on these fence posts to dry.” Megan suggested.
While everyone was hanging up their cold wet blankets, Pastor Reed looked to the animals and noticed Jasper in the low fire light. He was talking to the animals and he was petting them. The donkey seemed like it couldn’t get close enough to Jasper. It nestled its head into his arm pit.
“Look at Jasper over there.” The Pastor pointed. “He’s always more interested in the animals than us.”
“I wish he never brought us here.” Janet said, as some dirt fell from the log roof above. Looking up, she wondered if the logs would come crashing down to crush them. She was worried they were all going to die out here, in the middle of nowhere, though she would never speak it with little Tessa around.
“I can’t believe he actually convinced us to come. Either Jasper is really smart or we are really stupid.” No one wanted to make a comment to Bobby’s statement.
“I want to go home.” Janet said again only more desperate and real this time. “I hate this place!” She broke down sobbing.
“Yeah, I bet Ceramecy means certain death.” Randy added. After Randy’s cynical comment everyone drew very quiet.
Pastor Reed still had his eyes trained on Jasper who sat in the distance. Standing up, Pastor Reed said. “I’m going to talk to him.”
Pastor Reed made his way across the barn, calling for Jasper’s attention, “Jasper!”
Without turning his head to look at Pastor Reed, Jasper replied, “Pastor Reed.”
“I haven’t just been following you blindly, Jasper. I’ve been watching you and listening to every word you’ve said. I should commend you for your incredible stamina. I think you have the potential to do great things for God, but I would like to see you do it within the walls of a church. At least, I think you should start your ministry there. You have such creative ideas when you tell your stories. I’m worried, however, that your stories are full of too many dreamy ideas and concepts that the Bible doesn’t support. At the same time you seem to be lacking values of the Bible which you would have realized if you had more experience. I strongly recommend, you lead us all back to Kingston.” Pastor Reed let out a breath of aggravation. Jasper continued to listen and pet the nose of a brown horse, not saying a word.
Pastor Reed continued. “You should’ve thought about these things before you recruited innocent people to your bizarre cause. Look around you. You have no plans. You do things on a whim, and when they work out, you say it is a blessing from God. When they don’t work out, you shrug your shoulders and say it’s just God’s way.” Jasper continued to listen without reacting to even one word. This aggravated Pastor Reed even further. “You don’t promote order or structure, rather you’ve created a ‘survival by the seat of your pants’ camp. We’re in a dangerous situation, Jasper. We’re living like the first settlers to these lands did long ago.” Pastor Reed’s open frustration gave way to his obvious lack of respect toward Jasper.
A rumbling of noise and a small tremor rippled through the ground. The ladies screamed as all eyes lifted to the ceiling, watchful of the structural integrity of the barn. It was certainly possible for one of the great logs above them to come crashing down on top of them. The groanings of the storm; dangerous, dark and malicious, patiently waited for the first brave soul to attempt a step outside.
After everyone calmed down, and Jasper realized Pastor Reed had finished speaking, he said, “You say, I lack order and structure. You say, I have no plans. Now let me ask you a question. When you were a boy, and in the care of adults, did you demand order and structure?”
Pastor Reed puffed up his chest and answered, “My caretakers, and there were many, like most everyone, provided it for me.”
“You trusted them?” Jasper drilled the Pastor.
“Completely.” The Pastor answered with a solid word.
“My ways are no different. It’s called, ‘living by faith.’ It’s a way of life for me. All order, structure and plans for my future come from the Angels. And the Angels are in the service of God. I trust him and the plans he has for my life. Pastor Reed, do you have a problem with this?” Jasper’s white eyes held a wisdom and confidence Pastor Reed had never known possible.
“This isn’t the way I thought it should be, to live by faith.” The Pastor answered.
“How do you live by faith?” Jasper asked the Pastor.
“I find a daily routine and settle into it and I let the Lord sway me, but I don’t leave myself in a place where there are no commitments or responsibilities. I need to manage myself. You know, God helps those who help themselves.”
“Is this system flawless?” Jasper asked.
“No system is flawless. It is just the system that works best for me.”
“Still you find a way to worry about things?” Jasper asked.
“It’s human nature to worry.” The Pastor came back.
“It is human weakness. People worry when they’re distant from God. Remember the words of the Lord, Pastor, Matthew, chapter 6, verse 25-27 “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you wi
ll eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they don’t sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
At that moment a true earthquake shook everything. It not only upset the people, but it also upset the livestock. The ladies screamed in horrified terror along with Bobby and Randy. The horses neighed, the pigs squealed, and the cows mooed for their lives. The earthquake shook so violently, everyone thought it might be the end of existence.
Jasper on the other hand remained sitting on the fence and just observed the others as they feared for their lives. Jasper was as calm as could be, knowing his creator and paradise waited for him on the other side. The others didn’t see Jasper to be any wiser. Rather, they figured he was crazier than ever.
The massive earthquake calmed down quickly and passed. Everything settled as quickly as they started. Though it was over, the people were stirred up with unease and fear. Still it was a comfort to know the structure of the barn held together and protected everyone as it was designed to.
Pastor Reed lost the will to argue with Jasper any further. He simply stumbled back to everyone else and sat down near the fire. He didn’t look at Jasper for a long while. Training his eyes on the fire, Pastor Reed became lost in his thoughts.
A sense of security filled the inner area of the shelter. Though the spirit of peace was unseen, it was no less as real as anything else in the world. Everyone felt the same sense of well-being.
A child-like security was found under the shelter of Angels.
Late into the night, the storm continued as it settled, but the whistlings of the mountain’s winds over the smoke stack of the barn echoed the chill of a haunting song. Wrapping themselves up in warm dry blankets they became weary and slept by the firelight. As Jasper looked on, he prayed for the blessing of each one. Then he saw the Angels float down to meet with each of the sleeping bodies. The Angels, with their bodies of light, began to make contact with each person through their dreams.
At that time the Spirit of Holiness filled the barn like a luminescent cloud. Then Jasper heard a voice come from the cloud. As the voice spoke, the light grew inside the cloud and the animals became calm. The light was pure white and it didn’t come from the fire.
The booming voice of stability told Jasper not to be afraid, and he wasn’t. Jasper was asked to accept the son of the voice, who is the chosen one. Jasper immediately bowed down saying, “I do, I do accept you and I never want to leave you.” When Jasper lifted his head, he saw a man come out from the light of the cloud. The man walked right up to Jasper and stood before him. Jasper only lifted his head enough to see the man’s feet. Unlike the Angels of light, this man from Heaven had a body of flesh. His feet were bare and clean, and they had an unusual but grievous scar on each of them.
Noticing the scars, Jasper realized that the feet were the feet of Jesus the Christ. So many feelings welled up within him. Reaching out to the blessed feet of Jesus, Jasper expected them to be of a spiritual nature, but they were real. Jesus had a solid body of flesh, like his own. Putting his cheek to the feet, Jasper wept. Through such contact came undeniable confirmation, the feet of the Lord weren’t ghostly, but of true flesh and bone.
“Jasper, tell me what you seek?” Jesus requested.
“I want to do what You ask of me and understand You more. That’s all.” Jasper somehow found the strength to answer.
“That is all?” Jesus prompted him.
“Friendship, Lord. I can sum it all up with friendship.” Jasper answered.
Then Jesus spoke to Jasper and here is what He said, “Nothing is worth having, if it isn’t worth fighting for. Friendship? Between you and I? That, I will fight for. For who can separate you from My love?”
Jesus asked Jasper to rise up, so Jasper stood. When Jasper looked into the eyes of the savior, there he saw all the universe. Then Jesus asked Jasper, “Come walk with Me.” His breath was like crisp mountain air.
Jasper reminded the Lord, “The storm rages outside.”
Jesus cheerfully answered, “Walk with Me and you will pass between the snowflakes and the wind. With such great faith, as I know you have, you won’t even get cold.” Placing His hand on Jasper’s back, he realized, just one gentle touch encompassed the full power of God and the capability to confidentially accomplish anything.
While Jasper walked with Jesus, through the raging storm, not one snowflake touched them. Speaking to Jasper, Jesus explained a great task He planned for him to full fill.
Taking Jasper high into the sky, Jesus pointed out an approaching hurricane to Jasper. It moved up onto the coast next to the far off city of Kingston.
Though Jasper’s vision was hazy, the flashes of lightning put the entire spectacle in proportion. Within the twisting winds, the spirit of Death took form and swept through the tall buildings. Destruction followed and many human lives were claimed. Jasper wasn’t only mortified by the sheer presence of Death, but in his helplessness to be unable to help anyone, he was devastated inside.
Turning to Jesus, Jasper asked, “Please, is there nothing that can be done to help those people? Why should they have to lose so much on account of the weather? Tell me you aren’t okay with all of this.”
Tears rolled from the Lord’s eyes, “The innocent shouldn’t have to suffer such things, but pain and death don’t have favorites. They play roles in the lives of the living. As rain falls on the heads of the good and the wicked, so death and pain eventually touches the lives of all people. But keep in mind, Death and Pain aren’t in league with the Devil and his demons.”
“But why should death be so powerful? It’s absolutely terrifying!” Jasper tried to express just how deeply the sight of Death affected him and frightened him.
Jesus and Jasper settled back down amidst the little cabins of Ceramecy once more. “In this day and age, so many people are blind to just how connected they are to the earth. With the shrinking polar ice caps and the threat of animal extinction, such things should be clear. It all points to the thickening of the atmosphere. It is vulnerable and it is distorted by the pollution of man. You are the key to change Jasper. I have chosen you for this. It won’t be long now and you will see all these things clearer than any person with good eyes.”
When the Lord finished explaining all of these things, Jesus anointed Jasper with pure olive oil. Through the midst of the rushing wind and snow, Jesus was right, neither of them were the least bit cold.
Meanwhile, the Angels, in contact with each of the people, in a most personal and up lifting way, affected their dreams while they slept by the fire.
In the morning, when the fire was just a smolder of red and black chard remains they all began to awaken. Each one was very excited to tell their extra-ordinary dream. Bobby and Randy piled more wood on the red coals of the fire. Finally, they all had to calm down and allow for each one to tell their amazing adventure by the flame of the flickering bon-fire. Each one of them had a different song to sing which they remembered in detail from their dream. Mysteriously, amongst the group, each one shared similar dreams which weren’t only personal, but consisted of an Angel. The surprising and creative freshness of the dreams were, to each of them, like a gift.
Each dream took place at a different area of Ceramecy with a different Angel. Ceramecy seemed all the more dream-like after the experience of their extraordinary dreams.