The party had been a great success.

The prisoners and several of the guards showed their appreciation for their weekly visitor. She was 100 years old. The old woman had come to the prison every week for more than 45 years. She had become as important to the prison as the walls that surrounded the compound. She was often seen moving amongst the hardened criminals in the yard during the summer months. Ironically, she was probably safer here than in her own neighborhood. The guards and prisoners here knew and loved her. Any new prisoners quickly learned that she was well protected and untouchable. Those who did not heed the warnings often paid with their lives. Prison justice, though brutal, was effective. The old woman was as comfortable here as she was in her own home. She made her rounds, catching up with some, and introducing herself to others. She always had a New Testament in her hand, explaining how to use it before she passed it on to a grateful prisoner. She was often shadowed by a volunteer prisoner who carried a box or two of the Bibles so that she would not run out. When she got older and had more difficulty moving around, she staked out a corner of the yard and the prisoners lined up to talk to her. Whenever she visited, the guards allowed those that were in line at the end of the exercise hour to stay until they had an opportunity to talk with her….

….The old woman shuffled out the gate. Whenever she left the prison, it was her habit to whisper a one-line prayer for each of the guards and inmates that she was able to speak with that evening. This list became shorter and shorter over time. It wasn’t because she saw fewer and fewer inmates each week, but because her memory was beginning to fade. Oh, she could remember things that happened back in the early 1930’s like it was yesterday, but her short term memory was fading more and more quickly. The thing that she hated the most was that she knew it, but was powerless to do anything about it. This old body was turning against her. Well, she had lived a full life and though she didn’t know when, she realized that her time on earth was coming to a close. She would miss all the people that had been placed in her path over the years; so many had become dear friends. This line of thought brought to mind the one friend that she missed the most. She was looking forward to seeing him again; spending eternity with him by her side; having that perfect relationship they had always worked toward. She could just imagine him now, planting a garden to be enjoyed for eternity by all those who would pass it by. A tear slid silently down her cheek. A tear filled with joy and sadness and longing. She longed to see him soon. If pressured, she would admit that she had prayed on numerous occasions, while sitting in her favorite, comfortable chair that her heavenly Father would usher her home, but His answer was always to wait. He had more for her to do….

….The old woman glanced up as she heard the approach of a rowdy group of people coming her way. She could not see them so they must still be a few blocks away. Sound carried well at night. Suddenly, the sound stopped as if cut with a knife. For some reason she didn’t understand, she would have preferred the sound. An uneasy sense that something wasn’t right began to grow in her mind. Fear and worry, two constant and unwanted companions that she always struggled against, tried to get a firm grip on her mind and heart. She responded the way she had for more than 85 years.

She began to quote Scripture….

Her four Guardians sensed the evil before they could see it.

The Guardians saw the gang approaching long before their charge did. They could see the hulking spirits that controlled the minds and bodies of the young men and they wanted nothing more than to dispatch the demons as quickly as possible. They stayed put. They had their instructions; orders that came from the very throne room of Heaven. They nodded to the Sentry who was standing under the only lamppost on this stretch of road….

….The old woman gave a start as she heard the tinkling of shattered glass as it rained down on the street just a block down the road. The street was plunged into darkness. It took some time for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She just couldn’t see as well as she used to. She stood still until she felt that she could move forward safely. “Though I walk through the shadow of death and I will fear no evil, for thou are with me.” Her thanks reached the heavens. A guardian reached down and gave her a gentle push at the small of her back as an answer to her words. Yes, she was to trust. He would do as He said. He was with her.

She began moving forward again with confidence….

….The old woman hadn’t gone more than a block when she realized that she was no longer alone. She stopped. Fear, beginning in the pit of her stomach, threatened to overwhelm her. She responded to her fear when facing strangers as she had for many years. She reached into her purse and a grabbed a New Testament.