TORMENTED NO MORE

Love of God

How would you feel if you were tormented by a ghost? How would you feel waking up to see one in your bed? How would you feel realizing the nightmare you just had was real?

These were the questions Jacinta asked herself every day. Her nightmare began when she was thirteen, the year her grandmother died.

One afternoon, Jacinta was alone in her room when she saw her grandmother standing there. Shock froze her; she opened her mouth to scream, but her grandmother clapped a cold hand over it.

"Hush, my little diamond," the old woman whispered. "Grandma is here for you. Do not make a noise. I will remove my hand slowly, alright?"

Jacinta nodded. Her grandmother released her.

"You're dead," Jacinta stammered.

Her grandmother laughed softly. "Oh, my little diamond. I'm not dead—just mistaken for it."

"I saw your body in the morgue!"

"Yes, you did. That was the mistake I made, and why I've come for you."

"What mistake? You're dead. Please, leave me alone."

"Shut up!" her grandmother snapped. "The question you should ask is: Why can you see me? Why can I touch you?"

"How is that even possible?" Jacinta whispered.

"Well, little diamond, I belong to a powerful secret coven. When you were born, I took you to them for initiation. You are a witch."

"No! I'm not!"

Her grandmother laughed harder. "Oh, little diamond, you can never run from them. Soon, you will take my place. I wasn't dead when they found me in my room—I was in a meeting that trapped me here. Do not make my mistake. Secure a room no one else can access. As of today, you take over from me. Good luck, little diamond."

With that, she vanished, leaving Jacinta cold and in utter shock.

That was ten years ago. Now twenty-three, Jacinta was a powerful witch with everything life could offer: beauty, wealth, elegance. But every night brought torment. That was when the ghosts appeared, forcing her to serve the coven however they demanded. She had killed. She had ruined countless men, leaving them broken and useless. She had stolen property from the wealthy through spiritual means. Any young man who approached her soon went mad. She had no friends. Her family feared her—none knew about their grandmother's secret.

Deep down, Jacinta knew this was wrong. She had a good heart and longed for true happiness, but the coven had twisted her into something evil. She had read how killing destroys the soul. She had even peeked into J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, seeing how it started with murder and ended with Harry begging Voldemort for remorse—the only path to salvation. Killing erodes conscience, she thought. Yet during the day, she pondered redemption. At night, she had no willpower against the coven's power.

Is my soul shattered? she wondered. But a shattered soul wouldn't crave redemption like I do... would it?

Tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away and surveyed her exotic mansion. All this wealth, and no one to share it with. She was always depressed, always lonely. No boyfriend. Her family had written her off. What a sad, hopeless life.

Would this be her fate until old age? She stood and wandered outside, walking aimlessly to clear her head. Turning a corner, she heard a voice preaching. She stopped at the street's edge to listen.

Dre gazed sadly at the crowd—multitudes suffering, homeless. It pained him; his past had contributed to such misery. But he was a changed man now, overwhelmed with compassion. He comforted them the only way he knew: by drawing them closer to God.

"Brothers and sisters, can I have your attention?" Dre called. A few turned. He exhaled. "My name is Dre, and I'm here to preach the gospel of Jesus. Things may seem bad, but trust in Him—with God, all things are possible."

"We're starving and homeless," someone shouted. "Why bother? He's abandoned us!" Others nodded.

"That's not true," Dre replied. "God never abandons His people. Remember the Israelites—forty years in the wilderness. Listen to this song by Don Moen:"

God will make a way

Where there seems to be no way

He works in ways we cannot see

He will be our guide, hold us closely to His side

With love and strength for each new day

He will make a way.

"And where is this way?" another asked. "Is suffering the way?"

"No! Remember: with love and strength for each new day, He will make a way. But I see only hopelessness here—no love, no strength. Come closer to God. Let Him guide you."

"How?" a man at the back called.

"First, confess your sins and be born again."

"Do I enter my mother's womb again?" a woman asked.

"No. Be baptized by immersion—in a river or stream."

"Will that make a way for me?" a young lady passing by stopped to ask. "I worked in a brothel. I've committed adultery and fornication—against the Ten Commandments. Can I be redeemed?"

Dre looked at her gently. "Sister, there's a song by Women of Faith: All Things Are Possible."

Almighty God, my Redeemer

My hiding place, my safe refuge

No other name like Jesus

No power can stand against You

My feet are planted on this rock

And I will not be shaken.

"You may have sinned greatly, but God is merciful. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He offers a second chance. Your sins will be forgiven if you give your life to Him."

"What about murder?" an old man asked, back against a wall.

Jacinta perked up. She had committed countless murders—by her own hands and others'. She edged closer, heart pounding. She hoped for redemption, but her crimes dwarfed these confessions. Holding her breath, she listened.

Dre spoke: "My name is Dre, but I was once known as Killer D."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even Jacinta reeled. This was the man who terrorized neighborhoods? The cannibal rumored to bathe in newborns' blood for power? Merciless, thoughtless killer?

Hope flickered in her chest. If he can be saved...

Dre raised his hands for silence. The crowd had grown; passersby stopped.

"Brothers and sisters, there is only one power in this life: the power of God. No other can save you or give peace. I was a notorious criminal—evil beyond deserving life. But God had a plan. Today, I preach: With God, all things are possible."

"How? What changed you?" a teen asked.

"Five years ago, a coven hired me to eliminate a man fighting them—saving the afflicted. It was your coven, miss." He nodded toward Jacinta, who startled. She remembered the frustration; they never heard from the killer again.

"That man was Pastor Paul. He prayed for me that night. I was baptized the next day. Now, I evangelize town to town, state to state."

Jacinta couldn't hold back. "I will give my life to Jesus! Please help me. I've been in a powerful coven. I want to start anew."

Dre beckoned her forward. "There is no power except the power of God. Repeat after me:"

"I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for my sins and rose from the dead. I confess Him as my Lord and Savior. I surrender my life to Him and follow Him all my days."

"Now, you must be baptized to be born again."

"What about tonight?" Jacinta asked. "The night is when they come for me."

"Read this," Dre said, handing her a Bible page:

I lift my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

(Psalm 121:1-8, NKJV)

The crowd knelt. Dre led the Lord's Prayer:

"Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil."

(Matthew 6:9-13, ESV)

Weeping filled the air—tears of joy. Everyone accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jacinta returned home with a lighter heart, joy beyond words. She laughed and cried; her problems were solved. Jesus had taken her pain. She vowed a new life: preaching the gospel, winning souls for God.