Joel Bradley preaches about an intriguing thing God called him to do this past month and where it led him. In his journey, many seemed to find a word for themselves. Sarah Crane followed it up with a call to communion in connection to Joel's message. See the pictures below to follow along with Joel’s story.
The man reached for the ring hoping it would give him all he would need, but when he put it on he was bitten by the bat.
This sent him into a mindless state where the bats cries echo their loudest.
He became the ideal bait and the lies and deception started to set in.
The man began to freeze as his realities began to shift
He migrated from his mind to his heart and began building and fortifying a wall around it.
As he built a husky sat and watched over him.
He built his walls higher and by the time he was done he had built an enchanted kingdom upon his heart.
A frail man entered the kingdom and approached the husky. He placed his hand on it and said to the man “Don’t be afraid. The husky and I are here to crush the legion of bats that plagues your mind.
The frail man sat on a swing with the husky close beside him. They looked out beyond the horizon keeping watch for the bats
The man had a vision of a pattern of ripe crops. While he didn’t comprehend the meaning, for the first time since the bats attacked he felt at ease.
The peace lasted only momentarily as the cold season got colder and the snow began to fall.
In the man’s weakened state he was attacked by the dragon, the leader of the bats.
The dragon decimated the kingdom upon the man’s heart and it became impossible to distinguish between the ash and the snow.
Overgrown vines wrapped around the man’s heart. The thorns stung, but the man held onto hope. The bats had taken his mind but he wouldn’t surrender his heart so easily.
The man heard a legend of a being so powerful it could crush the head of the dragon. The man held on to faith that he would be delivered from the dragon’s reign.
The bats, the dragon and the vines ran wild. If the man were to see his heart he’s not certain he would even recognize it anymore.
The man saw the ring he once chased sitting on a pile of leaves. The ornament he once desired so much was now only collecting dirt. It was now that he could see the deception. He wished he could take it all back.
As the chaos ensued the man began to feel like a misfit within his own heart.
The man encountered a bat with a damaged wing. While he despised the bats for destroying his mind he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He wrapped the bats wing in a sling and in that moment the vines began to wilt and the dragon lost much of its power.
The frail man said “it’s time.” Then he and the husky tread towards the dragon.
The man went and found refuge in the deepest part of his heart. There he found a chest containing another ring. However, this ring was different from his first ring. The ring radiated with a sense of peace. He took hold of it and placed it on his finger. Upon doing so the dragon lost even more of its power.
After placing the ring on his finger a ghost appeared and startled the man. The ghost said “do not be afraid. I am here with the man and the husky. We are here to bring an end to this nightmare.”
The ghost joined with the frail man and the husky they spoke as one in an ancient tongue. The dragon and his legion of bats despised these words. One by one the bats began to fall.
The sheer mention of these ancient words made the dragon dizzy and the havoc it caused came to a screeching halt. The man felt a weight begin to lift from his heart.
Though the dragon was weakened it was not about to give up he spotted the man, and in a final burst of energy he flew after him shouting “tasty!”
In that moment everything went dark.
The darkness dissipated, and the frail man placed a coat around his shoulders. The husky sat next to him providing comfort and the ghost was dissolving what was left of the dragon. The battle had finally ended.
The husky offered to give the man a ride. He jumped on his back and together they went to reclaim his mind.
The frail man, the husky and the ghost healed the man’s injured mind and new life began to grow from him
A safety net was created to catch the man in case he was ever to fall again.
The man saw an orchard of ripe crops in the distance. As he approached he sat and rested. The frail man said “you survived the coldest season of your life and now the new fruits are finally ripe. Share these fruits with others and they too will witness new life.”