The Problem with Dreams

Prologue

The Lord of Heaven heard the prayers of Jalyn and Cadence, his faithful pair who'd been the subject of so much debate between himself and his servant, Satan. He'd rewarded their faithfulness with financial blessings and so far had been good stewards of all they'd been given. Their faith had been repeatedly tested: physically, spiritually, and emotionally and in each of those situations, their devotion to Him remained strong. Even when faced with the blessings of others much less worthy than themselves, in the wake of personal loss and deeply-felt sorrow, they prayed only for strength of faith and to do His will. Their joy was deep and true in each other and for their friends, and their ability to rejoice in the blessings they found was pleasing to the Lord's ears.

"Do you hear their prayers, oh Lord?" the angels of heaven sang.

"I hear the words that men may pray. I know the desires of the hearts of those who serve me. I am pleased by the faith of my servants," the Lord declared.

"Their faith is practiced privately," Satan reminded him. "They have not yet lived up to the public nature of our wager."

"Our wager is not yet over. They have until the end of this lifetime in which to succeed. I will reward the living as I see fit and bless those whom I find worthy in mine eyes," the Lord declared.

"You intend to answer their prayers," his servant said in an accusing tone.

"It is done," the Lord said. "It is my will, not theirs I have commanded be fulfilled."

"Praise the Lord," the angels sang.

"Will you not also sing the praises of my blessings?" the Lord asked his servant Satan.

"Not when the statement of my challenge still stands. You reward them, and yet your faithful have yet to make a public stand of their faith. They practice it in private with the children of their household. But they do not openly display and share it, demonstrating their commitment to faith above all else, even to their closest family members. I yield the point that they do not hide it when asked or pressed, but neither do they emphasize it is faith rather than religion they follow and observe, both privately and publically in the presence of others," Satan said.

"These things take time," the Lord argued. "Their faith and commitment to me and each other are moving them steadily and firmly in that direction. Soon they will be ready to serve me more fully. They will be ready when the time comes, to not only meet your challenge to me, but to also take on the work I am preparing my servants to do. When the time is right, they will do this too."

"Not if they fail before then," Satan challenged.

"They have succeeded in every test of faith you have brought. I maintain their faith will prevail in any trial or tribulation you can propose," the Lord said.

"Even if they come to doubt faith itself? When faced with events they believe are not going well? When confronted by family who question their faith and do not support them when they need it most?" Satan proposed.

"My faithful trust me, and to not rely solely on family," the Lord insisted.

"They put their family second only to each other and to you; and their family's doubts and lack of faith will fill them with worry and cloud their perception of you. Against such challenges from those they hold most dear, they will fail in the task you and I set for them with our debate and your will," he predicted. "If I show them repeated failures, if I cause them to remember that things do not always end well, second guessing themselves will cause them to fail."

"You may not touch the blessings I give," the Lord warned. "They are mine to give. It is my right to reward my faithful as I see fit. It is not in your power to take it away or interfere."

"My argument does not debate your right to bless those who please you. I state only that even within that blessing, their ability to doubt is at least as strong as their faith. It will double if it is introduced by their family as well. Given that, I maintain they cannot possibly meet your challenge to not only display unity of faith between themselves, but to continue to grow and share that faith with others, to gain the acceptance of their combined faith from their families; especially at times when perceived trouble strikes. Their human capacity to rely on logic and the wisdom of men will work against them and you. They will have trouble believing in your blessing or recognizing it is true," Satan insisted.

"You wish to test their minds ... their ability to believe based on faith alone ... when logic would not support such belief," the Lord recognized. "I say they will not only meet your challenge, they will continue to grow and follow my will, staying true to their path as part of my plan and extend their influence to others, despite whatever doubts you may bring to bear."

"Then, I have your permission to test them?"

"You may touch their minds only. All else is mine," said the Lord.

"So be the will of the Lord," Satan said.

"Let heaven praise the will of the Lord," the angels sang.

"Then the test is set," Satan declared. "Manipulating human values is a place where my forces excel."

"But they do not do so in a vacuum. My servants will be there as well, in whatever form I choose," the Lord warned. "This will be a battle of human wills against the forces of evil."

"So be the will of the Lord," His servant said and they turned their eyes once again to the world of men.

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