Already on the first day I found myself at the first factory and I had already messed up. I had forgotten my computer. I looked at my watch. I had slept in and had gotten up an hour after we were supposed to leave. I didn’t even have the right dress clothes on. And on top of that my boss was making fun of me in a more personal and severe way than he ever had before.
That’s just not in his character. i suppose he’s capable but. . . this can’t be real.
I forced myself to wake up. My alarm clock said it was way past when i was supposed to get up! I Had slept in! I rushed around, put myself together, and headed out. I hadn’t gotten to practice Chinese like I had wanted. I barely had time to get dressed correctly. This time as we got out of the SUV and started to walk to the factory, i realized i had left my backpack with my computer in the SUV. I went back and found my backpack but it didn’t have anything in it. This can’t be mine. I put it in the back seat and found my backpack. I was relieved. But as I opened it, this one didn’t have my computer either. i looked at the other backpack. It had changed its colors as if it were trying to prove to me that it wasn’t at fault. That, it hadn’t tricked me. This can’t be real.
I opened my eyes finally and it was daytime. I’m not sure what time it was but I had a visitor at my hotel room door. totally unexpected! It was an old friend that had somehow found me. He came in and we started to catch up. I got out of bed and went over to large panoramic window. My friend was a big guy. Really nice guy, usually, but he had a strange look in his eye. He was getting closer to me and I was getting scared. We were in a strange hotel room and he could do anything to me if he overpowered me. I reached out for his hand. He grabbed mine. I twisted it and forced him to the ground with a little bit of trouble. I stepped over him and we laughed it off like the old wrestling days in high school.
I was across the room when he said, ‘hey’. I looked over and he had a pop can in his hand. It was open. He threw it over to me and I caught it without spilling. I looked at him and said, “woah did you see that?”
Then something started moving in the can- a heaviness scratching around inside. Syrupy brown fizz started filling up and overflowing the can. “What is this?” I said calmly. My friend had gotten up and was looking at me with a sly smile.
Little black, sharp footed locusts started to pour out of the can and I dropped it and watched them spread out over the floor, on the carpet and into the bathroom. I looked at my ‘friend’ and said, “Now I know you’re not real.” 📷
The true urgency reached my body. My eyes were really heavy but i forced them open. My limbs were almost weighed down but i forced my arm up and I rolled over. I could hear the china men in the room next to me talking and I could smell the cigarette smoke somehow seeping into my room. i turned on the light on the nightstand and saw that it was 1:45. It was still dark outside from this skyrise hotel looking out into the Chinese city. I saw my bible there next to my ipod. I reached for it and began to read in Luke where i had left off last night. I turned on my ipod which was queued up to play Third Day.
I read where the servant of an important centurion was sick. The people said this centurion is a man that does great work for this city and the temple. He deserves for you to heal his servant. The centurion told Jesus, I understand that you can say something and it will be done for you because I can tell the people under me and they will do it for me. Just say the world and you can heal my servant. Jesus did and was amazed by this man’s faith.
I don’t know if i have ever tried to wake from a dream and had to try three times to really escape it. I don’t know but perhaps this was an attack. I prayed and read and I am not worried. I have dedicated this hotel room to God and whatever it was that was there with me, was trespassing on holy ground. I am not scared. I am a faithful servant of God, and i can do great work here for his kingdom. God, just say the word. Heal me. Protect me. I have faith.
Raw Spoon
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