I love having my son in my life.
He and I share some of the coolest debates about action heros (Marvel or DC comics?). He most strongly shares my love of the Narnia stories. We go to all of the action hero movies (Avengers is one of my favorite movies of all time). And, through him, I have experienced the Hobbit for the first time.
Thankfully hubby really isn’t into such frivolous modes of entertainment, so I do not have to share our son in this area.
Lately, my man-child has been enjoying Harry Potter.
I had only read the first book in the series with my eldest daughter when she was young (as a lover of Disney princesses, she had no time for the Harry Potter series).
Regularly I get updates on the storyline, the characters, and the excitement … I do a significant amount of SNA …
smile … nod … agree
I often feel the glazed look come over my face, and pray that I might be able to maintain enough interest to ask appropriate questions, so as to ensure that my precious child know that I love him enough to stay interested in his interests.
The other night the fog lifted and my attention was fully his as he described to me a dementor. According to my man-child a dementor is:
“a non-being that reaps the souls of the living, of happiness, creating much fear and terror and sadness in the minds of the livings bringing them to their darkest memories … they pretty much make you live in your darkest nightmares.”
It really pretty much describes the shortened days of winter for me.
For someone else the dementor might be the process of divorce.
For someone else the dementor might be their present job.
For someone else the dementor might be the mourning of a loved one.
For someone else the dementor might be a struggling relationship.
For someone else the dementor might be a time of illness.
For someone else the dementor might be financial difficulties.
For someone else the dementor might be depression.
For someone else the dementor might me ….. (fill in the blank).
Whatever it might be, at some point in the lives of all, we are faced with a dementor … one “that reaps the souls of the living, of happiness, creating much fear and terror and sadness.”
The dementor reminds me of what Jesus called the thief, in John 10:10, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
That thief is the dementor of all dementors, the destroyer of all destroyers, the biggest soul-sucker of them all, the Prince of darkness. It is he who sucks the life from us.
Life … the most miraculous gift of all. Through living we uncover our passions, and put them to their best use. Through living we commune with our Creator. Through living we experience joy.
But, Jesus also encourages us, in John 16:22, “now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
Hope for this day!
