Sleep Paralysis

"Be alert and of sober mind for the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour ..."  1 Peter 5:8 

"Therefore God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name."  Philippians 2:9   

My father died the very last day of July, 2002.  He was a loving, good-hearted man with multiple health issues.  For many years he'd suffered from a variety of ailments -- heart valve leakage, myoclonic jerk disorder, diverticulitis, depression, and so on.  When he died our family was sad, yet relieved.  I had no doubt that my dad had ascended to heaven -- but that's for another blog.

     I remember standing by Dad's casket looking down at his deceased body.  Dad had become a true believer in Christ after he'd suffered a sort of mid-life crisis twenty-five years earlier.  As the years went by I watched my dad pray more, read the bible more and find a sense of contentment for his position in life.  More than once I witnessed Dad praying beside his bed -- on his knees. 

     As I stood looking at my dad as he lay in the casket there was a subtle shift in my spirit that's hard to describe.  I remember sensing this mantle-like cloak settling down upon my shoulders.  "As your father prayed, so shall you," whispered a gentle, quiet voice into my ears.  I shuddered.  "NO, I don't want it!" I thought.  "He suffered so much ... and I don't want to suffer like my dad!"  Shrugging it off, I turned to sit with my family as the service began. 

     Following the funeral our family was invited to spend some time with friends at their house on Lake of the Ozarks, mom included.  So off the six of us went for a weekend of sunshine and relaxation.  It was a very strange time for all of us.  We enjoyed jet skiing, tubing behind their speed boat and floating on rafts around their dock.  Our family spent this time reflecting on Dad's death and our future.  It was a bittersweet time for all of us.  I missed my dad.  We were very close.  I could talk to my dad about almost anything.

     Rick and I went to bed after tucking both Megan and Jeremy in for the night.  It was a splendid house and our bedroom overlooked the beautiful lake.  Swiftly I drifted to sleep amid a sense of peace and gratefulness for this time away. 

      Sometime later I woke up but found myself unable to move.  It was the strangest sensation -- like a huge pillow-body was lying across me.  I frantically searched the room but didn't see anyone or anything.  It was like I was awake, but a little asleep, too.  Trying to speak proved difficult as all I could manage was a small croak,  "Help."  No success in waking Rick, I tried again.  "Help, me!" I managed to squeak one more time.  The oppressive weight was slowly sinking into my chest and I found myself struggling for breath.   "Am I dying!?" I wondered.  

     Suddenly I heard that still, small, gentle voice that I'd heard at my dad's funeral say,  "Call out for Jesus.  His name is more powerful than all."  

     "Okay, I'll do it,"  I thought to myself.  So with a firm resolve I took in as much air as I could muster and hoarsely belted out, "Jesus!!!"  Immediately the heaviness of pillow-man lifted and I sensed this spirit of oppression leave the room.  I had managed to scream the name of Jesus so loudly that Rick woke up only to find me sitting straight-up!  Imagine Rick's surprise to have been awakened so abruptly in the middle of the night! 

     I don't know how I fell to sleep after such an exhausting fight, but I seemed to drift off to sleep with relative ease.  In the morning I woke with vivid memories of this night time incident and grew trouble.  Visible shaken, I shared what had happened to me with our friends.  I was stunned by my friend's response,  "I've experienced that before, too."

     Ten years later I can still recall that night with vivid detail.  It was a valuable lesson for me and I've only shared this story with a few people until now.  I learned that the name of Jesus is more powerful than any name in all the heavens and the earth.  And I learned God sometimes allows us to experience oppressing times while on earth -- for a variety of reasons.  I believe that God was allowing me to see that evil would try to thwart my plans and possibly even try to do harm to me at times.  But God clearly is in control.  

     Now, when I am afraid or going through difficult times (especially emotional times) I will sometimes just say the name "Jesus" aloud.  It's amazing how quickly the mood of the room will change.  

     And, I have become a woman of prayer ... no longer afraid, but strong in the name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.