Dark Tidings

One fateful day in fourth grade, I was enjoying my lunch when three excited friends suddenly rushed the table with the latest gossip. Oh, how I miss elementary gossip—usually contorted facts, like staring at our own reflections in murky, rippling waters.

“Have you heard about Queen Mary of England?” they asked. I knew nothing, so they continued. “Her real name is Bloody Mary. If you look into the mirror and say her name three times, she’ll appear and take you away because you’re a Christian! Come try it with us!”

We went into the bathroom, turned off the lights, and laughed. No one dared whisper her name. Besides, that is divination and should never be practiced.

As night fell, I was alone in my bed and about to fall asleep. Bloody Mary suddenly became very real in my thoughts. I could see her crooked grin and gnarled teeth gnashing at me. She wore a dark crown, and blood dripped from her hands. Mary was going to get me!

I was scared for weeks. My mother tried to console me—still struggled to sleep. My teacher lectured the class—didn’t help. We prayed as a family, and the fear faded.

I stopped hiding under the covers and chose the Lord’s covering. God desires to cover His children with rest. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty,” (Psalm 91:1). Satan also desires to place a covering over us. He wants us under his shadow to take our peace and ultimately destroy us (John 10:10).

In LOTKR, chapter 1 (Night Sweats), Sahib sends dark clouds to blanket the sky. These clouds represent Satan’s covering—his shadow and his plans for us. They affect each warrior with nightmares and unrest. There is no peace in their sleep. But as Christians, we are not powerless. We can actively choose rest in Christ. The covering we choose ultimately determines the peace we carry.

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12