𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗔

𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘰, 𝘪 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦…

Rain, rain, go away,

Come again another day,

Little children wants to play.

Rain, rain, go to Spain,

Never show your face again" So sang the children in merry chorus, their hands entwined in a circling dance—spinning, laughing, and leaping with delight,

their joy blooming like flowers after rain. It was a customary Saturday morning—the weekend. The most longed-for day of the majority—where the working class repose from their labour, a leisure day for the students to frolic and a day for mothers to meticulously set their homes in order.

All the while, the children continued dancing and gamboling about the environment, I fell into a trance-like state; in an instant, I saw a thick shadow envelop the sky—so thick that we could see nothing, not even ourselves. We could only recognize our voices. Afterwards thunderclaps and lightning strikes followed, loud enough to deafen us. As all of these unfolded, different thoughts began racing through my mind: is the end here? Are we being raptured? Is Jesus here to take His saints home? All these thoughts flashed through my heart in a moment. Then, I thought to myself woe is me, for I am undone. I have committed unrighteous deeds. Though known as a Christian, I have lived like the pagans. I have deceived, defrauded, taken what was not mine, lusted, envied others possessions, derided the weak, and harboured hatred toward many—and as concening these things, the Scripture says, “those who practice them shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”.

Does this mean, I wouldn't be raptured together with the saints? I have trod my own path, and truly, it has caused me trouble. Yet, I cried like the blind Bartimaeus; have mercy on me, o Lord. Out of nowhere, a hand kept tapping me repeatedly until I jerked out of the experience. Lo, it was my mother—she thought I had died, but thank goodness. As I tried to stand and go about other things, I heard the voice of the Holy Ghost, clear as the face of the waters, saying:

So will the Lord Jesus come suddenly, and many will be unprepared. Tell my people that the Master is fast approaching. Prepare.

PsalmistFaith