Zion Johnson fought hard to force his eyes closed, only to have them pop open again and again. Each time his eyelids darkened the reality around him, he replayed the gruesome images of the blood stained trails leading to his bedroom at home where he had found the brutally murdered bodies of his wife and five year old son. He had phoned them late in the evening of that fateful shift and had enjoyed his son's excitedly innocent voice anticipating going to school for the first time this coming fall. Later that night the rebels who had been rioting recently, forced entry and proceeded to evilly plunder their unsuspecting victims. Seemingly unexplainable, they sometimes didn't commit the horrible murders, but instead settled for simple greedy looting of their possessions. This time they took it all from Zion Johnson.
The last few months had bred a major uprising of the wicked. More and more lawlessness prevailed on the streets, some due to the panic resulting from God shaking His world in signs and judgments. Yes, these last days had been trying times, welcoming in the mark of the beast to brand his ever increasing followers and bringing great suffering to the christian minority in this tumultuous society.
Zion rolled over in his bunk to view the red digital display of 12:12 a.m. That's weird, he thought. He silently rose and slipped out into the locker room and retrieved his Bible. He thumbed to Romans 12:12 out of the blue and anxiously strained to focus on the words. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Gravity slammed his knees to the floor. He banged his head on the locker door on the way down, tears already flooding over his cheeks. He slumped over, sobbing out of control. This had been the verse his wife had consistently quoted to help pacify his frequently flaring temper when the going got tough. He understood tough, for he was a fighter at heart. In fact, he had participated in a somewhat elite off-duty fight club during their first few years of marriage. He had given it up as a promise to her at the birth of their son.
He pulled his big, meaty hands from his face and stared into his wet palms. Making two tight fists he bellowed out in anguish. The scars on his fingers and knuckles reminded him of his stint in the ring. They had tagged him the nickname of Zion the Lion for his fierce heart that never let him give up. He won many of his fights on sheer determination to endure the punishment. Now he felt those same old feelings of rage building inside, the feelings of hatred that would come over him just before the bell rang. Oh, if he could just find those responsible for his family's slaying. Oh, the sweet justice when vengeance would be his. He fought through the bitterness, dodged his pride, and blocked his own selfishness as he tried to focus on God by being "faithful in prayer", as the verse implied.
"God, this was so sudden. There was so much left to do. I never got to see my son grow up. Me and Kathy were just coming together in unity of Your Spirit. I'm so sorry for not doing what I said I wanted to do. I intended to make all these changes in myself and my lifestyle. I know what you wanted me to do in taking responsibility for my sins and stepping up as a leader representing You. I'm sorry I allowed those things to pre-occupy my mind and time. I should've just had the courage to say no. I just want to do right in Your eyes, God. Nothing makes sense right now, but I want You to look down on me and smile. I just want to be obedient to You, Lord. You are worthy of all my worship, all my praise, all my devotion, all my heart, all my soul, and all of my love. Take it all, God!" His voice cracked as the tears choked him down again.
Suddenly his head lifted and he felt slightly lighter. His hands floated upward, outstretched to the ceiling. Still on his knees, he had to snort to clear his sinuses as his head was now tilted backward. His eyes bulged out in terror as he had never experienced this sensation before. His mouth fully opened, he felt as if he was ingesting something as the words filled his mind.
"Let go, Zion. Just let go and let me have it all. You are no longer in control of your life since you have committed it to me. You are mine now. You can depend on me to lead you in the way everlasting. The world and its desires are passing away, but my love endures forever. Your family is with me in the heavenly of heavenlies. Now get up and take courage, for I am your life, and it's not over yet."
