Chapter 13: THE COUNCIL IS CALLED

Suddenly I was standing in the valley again. The beautiful little girl was still there, fighting. She was bruised, bleeding, and covered with dirt. Even so, as she looked up at me, I could see her eyes were as filled with fight and resolve as when I had left her.

I looked down at my cloak, now a simple brown, humble fabric. Under it I saw a flash of armor. I had the sword and a flask, which contained the oil. I poured some of this on the edge of my cloak and began washing the little girl's face. She looked deeply into my eyes with a seriousness uncommon for any child.

"They are coming faster now," she started, "they are making more progress than ever before because they are not fighting as much among themselves. I do not know if we can hold this valley long without help."

"Help is coming, but I must first teach you to ride the horse," I answered.

She looked past me to the horse, which was standing just behind me. "Have you learned to ride him?" she asked.

"No, I have only sat upon him. We must learn together," I responded.

The clamor from the evil horde rose to a terrible crescendo. With that I poured the rest of my oil on her head and began to rub it in. I looked down at what should have been an empty flask, but it was full again. I kept pouring it on her until she seemed to be clean. I then lifted her up on the horse and handed her the reins.

"You are going to have to learn to ride this horse in the middle of a battle," I said.

"Then I shall feel quite at home," she responded. "I don't think I have ever known a time in my life without battle."

This touched me deeply. I felt very sorry for this young girl who had already been through so much. I thought that she may truly have never known peace or rest from the struggle in her entire life. A deep desire came over me to take her away to a place where she could just be a little girl, be in a family, play little girl games....

"Don't even think about it!" a sharp, familiar voice behind me said.

It was the old eagle. There was such a fierceness in his eyes, which seemed even greater than when he was in battle.

I also noticed the girl seemed to know him, since she did not seem at all surprised by his presence or that he was speaking.

"Many children are called to a life of battle on this earth. It is their destiny, and you must not rob them of it. Those who fight here like she is doing will have a reward which they can enjoy for eternity, but here she must fight."

"Were my thoughts so far out of line?" I protested. "I was just feeling a little sorry that one so young had to go through so much. I don't think I could endure it if one of my own daughters had to go through so much. What is wrong with my feeling this way about her?"

The attention of all three of us was drawn to the clamor of the evil host which was now very near and obviously advancing. Then the old eagle looked at me with an unrelenting fierceness in his eyes, which I will never forget, as he continued.

"The power that is in her is as great as the power in you. The wisdom and faith to use the power within her has in some ways been greater than yours. You will not last long in the fight without her, and she also needs you.

"I warn you, do not show her pity! Self-pity is one of her greatest enemies. She cannot be defeated by the enemy if she continues to fight, but if she falls to self-pity, she will be disarmed and easily defeated."

The little girl reached out and touched my arm as she said, "He is right. Every time I start to think about myself in that way, I start to lose my faith and my courage. Please do not feel sorry for me. I know I have been given a great honor to even be able to fight in the King's battles. I gave my life to Him, and now I must live only for Him, not myself."

"I know you are both right," I conceded. "Certainly this is not the time or place for the kind of sympathy that I was feeling," I said, even though I was still a bit irritated that such a big deal was being made of my feeling a little pity for a battle-scarred little girl. The eagle did not let up.

"Self-pity is the deadly enemy of her generation. Do not open the door to that enemy by showing them pity. Give them hope! Give them courage! Teach them endurance! Give them the training and the weapons they need, but I warn you-never, never, never give them pity! That mentality is to fear more than the evil horde out there!"

"I know an age is coming when all children will be able to play," the girl added. "I know they will be able to play with all creatures in peace and safety. Then love, joy, and peace will be the happy abode of all. I have seen this in my dreams, and I have read it in the Scriptures. I am fighting so this day will come. My reward will be to see that day come. That hope is more important to me than children's games. By fighting this fight, I will live a life full of more adventure and glory than any child who dwells in a life of play and fantasy. I should be feeling sorry for them, and I do."

"Of course you are right," I confessed, now feeling very adequately chastised. "I really am going to have to become like this child to enter the kingdom," I thought to myself.

"Now we have important business," the eagle began. "The great council of apostles and elders is about to convene here. This has not happened since the first century. It will mark the beginning of the transition from this age to one which is to come. They will come together here. They are to drink from this stream for which you have been fighting."

I looked around in disbelief. It did not look very likely that anyone would be able to drink from this stream for very long, as the evil horde was already within bow shot of it and getting closer. The look on the eagle's face told me he had discerned my thoughts, but he continued as if he had not.

"When this council meets, we will not be far from the last battle in which those things that must yet be fulfilled will come to pass. Each who is coming represents streams which will water the earth. They are all seasoned warriors who have fought long and with great courage, but few of them have yet seen a victory. Many have lost their own streams, and some will come here badly wounded."

"Are there no better places than this for such a council?" I asked, thinking that this was no place to bring the badly wounded or those who had never seen a victory.

The old eagle looked around carefully before answering, "No. This is the best place. I have already invited them to come, and they are on their way. I expect them to start appearing very soon."

"Sir, I don't want to be talking so much when it seems that we should be fighting, but how are they going to get here? We are surrounded. And what about the badly wounded? Won't they get even more wounded here, not to mention killed?" I asked, still disbelieving that this could be the right place for such a council to be held.

"This is just as good and safe a place as where the first council met in the first century," the eagle stated. "The wounded will begin to be healed in this council. These are all great warriors. After this council they will never again retreat before the enemies of the cross. The fellowship of courage and devotion which they will find here will be their food, and the waters of life which flow through this stream will be their drink. This is the table set for them in the presence of their enemies."

Shrieks from the evil army rose to such a pitch that I could not hear the eagle any more. A great cloud of dust rose and then descended on us so it became hard to breathe or see. I instinctively drew my sword and began to wave it. The dust retreated before it as if it were a giant fan. Soon I could see the horse, the girl, and the eagle.

We were all looking toward the continuing shrieking and clamor coming from the west. I was astonished as two old gentlemen emerged from the cloud of dust, walking right through the evil host as if on a Sunday stroll. The horde would run at them screaming, screeching, and hurling arrows, which the old men easily deflected with their large and brilliant shields. They seemed completely unperturbed by the attacks. If they just looked in the direction of the evil ones, they retreated in a great panic. I had not seen this kind of authority in men before.

By their walk they created a large swath through the horde which did not seem too close behind them. When they came to the stream they stopped. One bowed to drink while the other stood guard. When they had both finished, they continued walking up to us.

The two older men were probably in their seventies but were extraordinarily fit. They did move a bit slowly because of their old wounds, not because of their age. Even so, their authority and presence was so great, I felt as if an army had reinforced us.

The eagle bowed low as they stopped in front of him, and they did the same. There was an obvious mutual respect and affection between them. They then looked at the horse and girl. She dropped to the ground and also bowed. They did the same with genuine respect for her.

"We have heard much about you," one of them said to her. "No doubt you are well-known not only on earth, but in both Heaven and Hell as well. We are very pleased to meet you."

I think it was the first time that I had seen this brilliant little girl smile, as she replied, "I never dreamed that I would actually meet you, but having you come here has made all of the battles for this place certainly worth it."

"It is mostly because of you that a great council of warriors, prophets, and wise men are about to gather here," one of the elders replied. "All who have heard of your courage and endurance have wanted to come to this place to help you. The battle will soon rage all over the earth. You have inspired those more than you will ever know to fight with courage and endurance regardless of what they face. Your friend the eagle has made you very famous. I now know just by looking at you that every word he has spoken of you is true."

As I watched the two old gentlemen, I felt almost as if I was in the presence of the King Himself. I thought if there were only a few more like them, and a few more like this little girl, there would not be a battle that we could not win. Obviously hearing my thoughts, the old eagle turned to look at me as he responded:

"You thought you were alone, didn't you? There are many more like these and thousands more like you. There is more evil than you are aware of too. But of this you can be sure-the King will be victorious, and some of us here will still be fighting when He comes into His kingdom. The struggles we have known until now, we will soon consider skirmishes as the great battle unfolds. Blessed are those who have been chosen for the honor of fighting this great fight. Now the great wonders will begin."

"Who is this?" one of the elders said, looking toward me as he asked the eagle.

I, too, waited to hear his reply.

The sound of rain beating against the windows woke me up. I laid there for a few minutes listening. As I did, I could hear in the rain the sound of many feet marching. I knew the veil between the earthly and heavenly realms was getting thinner and the bridge between them was becoming stronger.

"To walk in truth, you must live in both worlds," a voice said.

I desperately wanted to return to my dream. I wanted to see the little girl again, the eagle, and the elders I had just met. Then a great sense of knowing came over me. The dream was real. I already knew or was going to meet everyone who was in my dream. I would fight in the great battle with them. All who follow the King in this time will soon know an adventure greater than any tale, greater than any dream.