As promised for those anxiously awaiting to get your hands on a copy in order to find out where Malachai's journey takes him next, I am posting Chapter One of "The Purpose", to build your anticipation even more. Hope you enjoy this small taste of what's to come.
Chapter ONE from
THE PURPOSE
by Daniel Sweetnam
Chapter One
“The spiritual world exists all
around you Malachai. Many people feel or experience the strange and
supernatural events this world offers, but since they don’t understand it, they
don’t believe it’s real and become confused about what they feel. However,
those that do believe often desire more.
The trouble is when it comes to
being responsible for what they see or feel they no longer want to listen, they
only want the experience and nothing more. Most people choose not to help
others with what they learn; they only want to feel powerful and important for
themselves. Most will not choose to do what is right but only what makes them
feel content. What will you do Malachai?” the angel spoke to me.
I knew this angel well and also
knew just how much he cared for me. Many times in my past he had visited both
in my dreams and while I was awake. But he always challenged me with thoughts I
wasn’t sure I wanted to consider. This time, we were standing in a tall grassy field,
on the edge of a lake, and even though I knew I was dreaming, the angel’s
radiance lit up everything around us and brought warmth upon my body. However,
the words he spoke cut deep into my very soul.
“I want to do
what’s right, but I’m scared. The things I see don’t seem very incredible or
miraculous. They are more from a dark, sinister side of the spiritual world.” I
replied.
Gently, the
angel answered, “There are incredible miracles happening all around you, but
your fear of the darkness is blinding you from the greater world which you also
exist in. You’re not alone Malachai.”
“Then why do I
feel so alone all the time?” I answered, resignedly.
“Just
because you don’t always see or feel us, know we are still watching over you.
God would never leave you alone, you are very important to Him and He is always
with you even when you forget He is there. Sometimes life just becomes hard and
the good is overshadowed by the bad. Yet there is always light amidst the
darkness if we choose to look for it. Perhaps you need to be the light
yourself.” The angel finished. Then I woke up.
The next day I
took some time to contemplate where my life was going and everything the angel
had said in my dream. So as I sat alone on the edge of a cliff that was hanging
off the side of a large mountain, I questioned why I was cursed with this
responsibility to see these demons and into the hearts of others. Since I was
little all I saw were how the demons and angels fought over people to either
rule them or set them free. Yet as much as some believed I was given an
incredible gift by God, to me it was just too heavy of a burden to bear.
This weekend was
supposed to be fun as some new friends I had made from my College program
invited several of us up for an end of term party that weekend. However, as
much fun as the party was for everyone else, all I felt was my own sorrow and
the true pain they hid within their hearts as well. So that morning when our
hosts offered to take us on a hike up the mountainside by their house, I was happy
to go just to get away from everyone else and spend some time alone.
It didn’t take
me long to separate myself from the rest of the group as I often went hiking or
mountain climbing at home and at camp. Of course the fact that the rest were
also still groggy from being up so late with the party definitely slowed them
down with hiking. I let them know I wanted to take some time by myself and then
went ahead in order to be alone with my thoughts and God.
I'd forgotten
how simple it could all really be. So much has happened since that horrible
dream in the old saloon with the demon General named Midnight. I had made my
choice to fight him and serve God, but I didn’t realize then just how much
Midnight would make me suffer for it. He hasn’t appeared to me for almost a
year, yet the dream is still as vivid in my mind as if it had happen only last
night. I know he is still watching me and I often feel his presence around me
and in my dreams, but he no longer shows himself.
What Midnight
promised about the real war beginning was true though. For months I felt
bombarded by his attacks. At home, camp, work or even with friends, his minions
seemed to show up to make their presence known. Often they took pride with
knowing I could see them whispering into the ears of those around me so I could
watch how much influence they had.
I did all I
could to pray and make them leave people alone, but it seemed like the people
would rather have the demons telling them lies then hear the truths God wants
them to know. They would rather have power, influence and importance instead of
doing what was right. The problem is that I am starting to agree with them
again.
All I see and
feel is people’s anguish, pain, suffering and selfishness; I’m finding it hard
to see what is good with life and God's creation. I knew so much truth about
why people, the spirits and even myself chose to do all we did, that sorrow and
helplessness has taken control over my own thoughts and emotions; I was
forgetting who I really was. I was losing hope.
A veil of
darkness had begun to overshadow my own heart and depression consumed my hope.
I was beginning to understand what Midnight was trying to tell me when he asked
why I was trying so hard to watch over people when they didn’t really want me
to. I was only taking away their fun by reminding them of the truths I thought
God wanted them to know. Whether at camp, church or home I found very few that
really wanted to seek the truths of God, most just wanted the experience of God
and what He had to offer; nothing more.
The more I
fought against the demons, the stronger their attack came against those I cared
for. Several people I deeply cared for had passed away; many friends and family
were going through hard times; and I felt helpless to do anything about it. In
fact I was beginning to feel it was my fault for not giving in to Midnight’s
demands and now his darkness was taking over all I knew with no doorway left
for any of us to escape.
I hid as much
sorrow and despair as I could behind my mask of humor so others wouldn’t see
just how desperate I had become. I had also learned how to shut off my
abilities in order to protect myself from seeing more of the demons and peoples
hearts as well. Whenever I did open my heart up to help others, I simply became
like a sponge that absorbed their pain, anger and sorrow, but I had no way of
dealing with their emotions on top of my own pain; so absorbing theirs only
broke my own spirit further. My hope was leaving and bitterness began filling
the emptiness.
As I sat on the cliff
overlooking a lake pondering all that the angel said to me, I thought about how
hopeless I felt and how much I wished for this all to end. I didn’t want to be
a warrior for God anymore. I didn’t want to see the truth. I didn’t want to
have to care about other people anymore. I just wanted to be normal. I wanted
to be like everyone else who just got to take care of themselves and do what
they wanted. If I couldn’t have it, then I no longer wanted to live, because I
just hurt too much.
I looked around
the peaceful lake and saw the birds cheerfully flying around singing as they
flew. I could see the geese across from me on a beach playing and having fun.
Even the fish were jumping and almost skipping across the surface of the water.
I used to feel so much peace and joy, but now all I felt was loneliness. The
animals all knew where they belonged and found joy in what they did, but it
seems that I only exist to serve others and help them find peace and joy. Yet,
for some reason it was as if I didn’t deserve the same peace and joy for
myself.
With tears
rolling down my cheek I let out a heavy sigh, and then I rested my head on my
knees and prayed.
"Please
God, I'm so tired and need your help. I need you to show me why I'm here once
again and what you want me to do. I want to give up constantly. I just don’t
want to be here anymore. I need you to give me hope again or to take me home
before I do it myself. Please." I desperately prayed.
Suddenly an
overwhelming feeling flooded the entire area and flowed through my spirit
itself. A breeze came off the lake and swept up the mountainside and across my
body causing the grass and brush around me to sway backwards. I could hear the
wind continue to flow up the mountain behind me blowing through the tall trees
causing them to shake, whistle and crackle then it circled back towards me once
more and calmed down. As the trees and grass around me settled them selves, I
heard a voice speak.
"You asked
for wisdom and I have been teaching you how to be wise Malachai; but it doesn't
come easily." A gentle, yet strong voice spoke.
"Simply
having knowledge does not make a person wise. Understanding how that knowledge
impacts the greater purpose makes you wise with how you use it. All the
knowledge you have gained has brought you only sorrow because you have not yet
learned how to use this knowledge for the greater purposes it was designed for.
Knowledge gives you the ability to understand how everything exists and works.
Understanding gives you the ability to know why everything should exist and
work. But wisdom only comes when you know and understand that everything does
exist and work, whether or not you know how or understand why; and that you
exist with it all too." The voice finished.
"Then teach
me more. If this knowledge is only bringing me sorrow because I don't
understand why it's happening, then show me why so I can learn what is really
going on and know that there is hope for us all in the end." I pleaded.
"You must
learn to see deeper into my purposes Malachai, when there is so much sorrow and
despair happening within this world, do you not believe that I would have a
purpose to bring hope somehow through it all?" He asked.
"I know you
must always have a purpose somehow, but how do I see it and understand
something so much greater than me?" I responded.
Gently The Voice
answered, "Malachai, remember when the little bird sat beside you in your
backyard and you were filled with peace? It was then that you understood how
within the simplest of things I exist. Now you are learning that within the
most complicated moments, I also exist. What does this mean to you
Malachai?"
I took a moment
to ponder it then said, "I guess it would mean that no matter what is
happening whether good or bad, calm or chaotic, you are always there and maybe
I need to trust you. Perhaps instead of thinking only about what is happening,
I should be looking towards you to understand the purpose of why it is
happening."
"Now you
are gaining wisdom Malachai. Seek out the greater purpose and you will find hope
once more." The voice finished.
As the
overwhelming feeling of peace faded slowly away a small bird flew down and sat
in front of me. It sang a joyous song and kept its gaze upon me. I lost all
sense of time as I simply sat and enjoyed this incredible moment. The last time
God sent a bird to me was to bring me hope as I cried out to Him in my
backyard. This time the message the little bird brought me was one filled with
joy as well.
With one last
chirp the little bird finished its song, hopped towards me, then stopped by my
feet and looked into my eyes. It passed on a strong sense of peace and joy as
it looked at me. All I could do was sit and bask in the incredible feeling the
bird gave. Finally, the little bird leaped into the air, opened its wings and
circled around me before it flew off towards the lake and out of my sight.
I still felt
very confused with exactly what I was to do with my life, but I had found a
renewed sense of direction after that weekend. I needed to seek out why events
were happening in people’s lives, not just try to solve what was immediately
happening to them.
I was beginning
to realize if a person chose to listen to the demons whispers that brought
negative consequences to their lives, perhaps I should stop focusing on what that
person was doing wrong and start figuring out why the demon was choosing to
influence them in the first place. If the demons were spending so much energy
to keep me from understanding my true purpose, then maybe they were doing the
same with others. So since I could see the demons then my job should be to stop
them.
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