Chapter 2 Audrey Hope

Another little one has imposed upon my times with Giselle. She is Audrey Hope. I'm told she is another unborn child. Her mommy is busy with a family, school and job and does not have time to come up here so Audrey calls me, "mommy" .... Giselle finds her mildly annoying since she is still very young and doesn't know quite how to behave. She knocks over blocks and toys and toddles about and wants to be just like Giselle. Every now and then Jesus picks her up and takes her back to heavens nursery. It is where earthly mommies come to rock their lost babies. I ask Giselle what we should give little Audrey for Christmas and Giselle has agreed to have her live in the Christmas Cottage with her. Audrey bends over and pretends to toot sugar plums and peppermints then dances a child like stomp through the sparkles.

So today, during my walk and talk with Giselle I hear a little voice, "Mommy .... it's Awdrey." I reply, "Yes, honey?" .... "No, AWDREY!" ... Giselle leans over to whisper to her that "honey is a word like sweetheart." Audrey begins to whimper for my attention. I toss her up to Jesus ... I do the same with Giselle or myself when we are feeling needy. Afterwards I take Audrey on my lap and into my heart. This is tricky. I pray to give Christ his proper place and love these little ones with the love of the Lord ... it is so easy to see a source of love as the source of love. It is less of a problem when we are in Zion for it is the presence of the Lord and there our hearts are glad and there is no want or loss for love. But here on the outskirts or that place where we meet somewhere between heaven and earth there are ugly things that try to impose upon our time together. And so we pray for the presence of the Lord and for all his holy angels. I have met Michael and Gabriel ... Giselle's angel which she shares with me. We named him Butterfly. He is covered all over with wings. When he is in flight he is nearly transparent and when he lands the wings close and he is visible and still as medieval stone. Sometimes all we see of him is something like the breast and wing of a swan, feathers extended. He has a special concern for the creation and does not like to see it suffer ... for God cares for the peoples of the nations and the many cattle too. I eat less meat now because it seems to grieve him .... man's survival hinges much on the groaning of the earth ... we see it in Passover and the crucifixion ... the sacrificial system .... there will be no death in the new heavens and the new earth.

Then there is Agnus. I went looking for him and found him to be The Ancient of Days. All the wisdom of the ages rests upon his shoulders. He is The Angel of the Lord (the Christ) for his symbol is the lamb. He carries a sword and is chaste and stern. He guards the purity of God's people, for they are his. But I see Jesus mostly relaxed and happy .... throwing his arm around one of the redeemed or romping with the children. His voice full of the Spirit blesses me .... "I am your Lord and Savior." My heart is healed and I brim with gratitude ... for me, for my children and for folks in general.

All holy angles rely and depend upon the Lord for their strength and purpose. They are compelled to action by the prayers of God's people and the resulting word of the Father. They live to honor and serve God and his children. They are earnest and helpful but shy of praise and worship for these were the beginning of the fall of the archangel Lucifer and his angelic followers. O to be among the heavenly angels ... to serve before the presence of God and to ever behold his face and favor. And yet we are God's counterpart .... his special creation .... the ones for whom he died.