Who Is Knocking On Your Door?

I love this picture. I took it as my sister and I went into the Newport Temple. This little birdie has the perfect perch. 

I loved Facebook on Mother's Day. I loved reading all of my friends comments showing love for their Mom's. There was so much love, it felt like Christmas. 

Disclaimer:

I know I am not the best writer. I am not one who stresses out over what I am going to lay down on the page. So, I am aware that I make some mistakes. If I were an editor, my blog would be perfect. I am not an editor. 

I have listened and/or read Boyd K. Packer's talk, These Things I Know several times now. You can listen to it right here. It has a lot of good advice and wisdom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeglqZtlpBA 

It has caused me to pause and think, the story of the Finches is one of the things I have pondered. 

The back windows of our home overlook a small flower garden and the woods which border a small stream. One wall of the house borders on the garden and is thickly covered with English ivy. Most years this ivy has been the nesting place for house finches. The nests in the vines are safe from foxes and raccoons and cats that are about.

One day there was a great commotion in the ivy. Desperate cries of distress came as 8 or 10 finches from the surrounding woods came to join in this cry of alarm. I soon saw the source of the commotion. A snake had slid partway down out of the ivy and hung in front of the window just long enough for me to pull it out. The middle part of the snake’s body had two bulges—clear evidence convicting it of taking two fledglings from the nest. Not in the 50 years we had lived in our home had we seen anything like that. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience—or so we thought.

A few days later there was another commotion, this time in the vines covering our dog run. We heard the same cries of alarm, the gathering of the neighborhood finches. We knew what the predator was. A grandson climbed onto the run and pulled out another snake that was still holding on tightly to the mother bird it had caught in the nest and killed.

I said to myself, “What is going on? Is the Garden of Eden being invaded again?”

There came into my mind the warnings spoken by the prophets. We will not always be safe from the adversary’s influence, even within our own homes. We need to protect our nestlings.

It reminded me of a dream I had about a decade ago, the dream went like this. I lived in a home that had a very long hall from the living room to the front door. The floor was a honey colored travertine. In my dream I stood in the middle of the hall facing the front door. I had a feeling of fear, it was distinct. As I was looking at the door Satan walked right in. I knew who he was, I recognized him right away. He wasn't very tall maybe 5'10 or 5'11, he had dark hair, he looked like any ordinary man, I could feel his power, it was heavy, thick, and real. 

I said, Get out of my house. He said, No. I walked right up to him feeling sick with fear but with strength and I began to push him out the front door. He fought back like a toddler would when you try to buckle them in a car seat and you are totally exhausted afterwards. I was sweating, drops of sweat ran down my face and back. I finally got him out, and locked the door feeling a huge sense of relief and fatigue. I started to walk down the hall when again I felt the oppression. I turned to look at the door it was closed, but suddenly Satan appeared in my home again! Uninvited! I looked at him, I said Get out of my house! He simply said, No. I demanded again, Leave! He looked at me amused and said, No. He laughed at me. I walked over to him again with great struggle, physically forced him out the front door. I was pouring with sweat and totally exhausted. I rested for a minute against the door a sense of relief came over me. I turned to walk down the hall. Again, I turned to look at the door and as I did a vapor of smoke came under the door and into my home, the vapor materialized into Satan. Again uninvited.I said,GET OUT. He said, You cant make me leave. This time, I ran at him and pushed him with all of my might towards the door my shoulder to his chest. It was a great struggle, a battle even of who was stronger.I pushed, he pushed back. I pushed and shoved him toward the door. It felt like an arm wrestling match when you are at the end about to win but you are so tired in that moment. Or when I am at the gym nasueous after a really hard weight workout. I began to weep from exhaustion,my weeping led into sobs. I could not fight any more, I did not have an ounce of strength left in me.I looked Satan in the eye. I took a few steps back. I remembered the power of the priesthood, I raised my arm to the square and I cast him out of my house. He simply disappeared, peace flooded my home and heart and I woke up drenched in sweat, sobbing. 

To me, this is like the story of the Finches. I did not know Satan's power at the time. I do now. I have fought spiritually until I was exhausted, emotionally and physically. What I have learned is that the only way to truly beat Satan is to not rely on ourselves. We have to have the help of the Savior. We have to have Heavenly Father's Power to keep Satan out of our homes. We have to arm our homes in a blanket of Spiritual Protection that can only come from the Priesthood. I have also learned that after I have tried all I can, done all I can the Savior will ALWAYS rescue me. Every time. 

The Sunny D

XOXO