My friend likes to say, “Life is twisty turny.”

Indeed. It sure is.

I couldn’t sleep at my old house. It didn’t feel safe anymore.

Someone once told me, “The whole world isn’t out to get you.”

Did you know that’s not true?

Did you know that it is written that the whole world is against you?

The devil is real. He uses people like pawns. He possesses them, satan and his demons.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

I used to receive death threats. Without going into too much detail, it’s all about money.

That’s the spirit of greed possessing people.

Men were always trying to sleep with me. They still are. I used to say that I could be crying in the gutter, and somebody would still come around trying to get their dick wet. They act like they are offering help, but they are only trying to help themselves orgasm.

That’s the spirit of lust.

I would ask for help, but I would get offered a different version of what was required. Just enough to get by, but not enough to get me what I asked for. Because what I wanted done, wasn’t what they wanted it done. And they had the power to say yes or no. They believed what they wanted, their desired outcome, was better than what I wanted for myself. They thought they knew better.

That’s the spirit of pride.

People closest to me would sabotage my efforts. Lie directly to my face that they “want to help.” They would run me in circles, waste my time, because they knew I thought I needed them. Always pointing me in a different direction. Never being satisfied with my work, but that was the point. They didn’t want the work to be done.

Sabotage a.k.a. The spirit of jealousy.

All of these spirits are ruled by the spirit of selfishness.

What’s the golden rule?

“Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

It’s hard to fight back when you follow this rule. Which makes perfect sense. We are not supposed to fight back.

We are supposed to wait. We are supposed to pray for help, and wait for the Lord to deliver us. And to deliver them.

He fights for us.

How terrible it must be to live in a world where you think you’re the boss. You think that you know better than everybody else. You think that your momentary wants and desires, trump the long term and lasting effects over another human being.

You think they don’t matter.

You think that your impact on them, doesn’t have an impact on the people that they impact.

False. Natatory. Bullshit.

Everyone gets touched. It’s a web of hurt.

But it can go both ways.

I like to call it “the universal law giving.” If everyone would give, everyone would be covered. If everybody thought about others, instead of themselves, nobody would feel the need to think about themselves. Everyone would be cared for.

It seems rather simple, doesn’t it?

It is. But it requires submission. To something bigger than yourself.

He fights for us.

You’re not in control. Everything you think you have, can all be gone in the blink of an eye.

Nothing you own is yours. Not even your body. The good Lord can take you whenever He sees fit. You could get hit by a truck. You could choke on your next meal.

And what would you think about, as you attempt to grasp for your last breath, but fail to do so? Would you think about your bills? Would you think about your job? Would you think about what other people thought about you?

No. You just want to live. You would pray, “Please God save me this last time. I promise I’ll be different.”

Because you know you’re wrong. We all are.

You know your effort has been misplaced. We all do it.

I feel fortunate that I’ve stared death in the face a number of times. People close to me have died tragically, and untimely. It puts things in perspective.

You may not have time to pray when it’s your time to go. Ask for forgiveness every day. Do your best. Wake up before dawn and beg to be better. Every day.

Every morning, cover yourself and the people you love. That’s where peace lies.