The Battle for Toby's Soul

In this house, we try to keep things pretty G Rated. I have a pretty sensitive soul...and I seem to have passed this trait onto my children. So we don't watch scary movies, we dont watch anything that has anything remotely scary or intense. Its just too much for our tender hearts to handle. So when my sweet little Toby started having horrible nightmares, it started to really worry me. There was nothing in his life, that he has been exposed to, to be terrified of. At first we thought they were night-tares. But after reading up on them, the symptoms just didn't match up. For starters, he would wake up, terrified, and tell me what was going on in his dream. But just couldn't snap back into the reality that he was awake. I read everywhere that when in the middle of a night-tare, the child will seem awake but be completely unresponsive. That was not the case here. Also, children will not likely remember night-tares in the morning, but Toby would remember every single part of it. He would wake up screaming for me. I would go in and he would proceed to tell me what was going on in his dream, or what was scaring him. Every 5-10 seconds, he would look somewhere in the room, get the most horrified look on his face (I mean...the super creepiest...he just saw an ax murderer kind of face...completely petrified) and just start crying hysterically. So the first couple of times, we got him up and tried to just snap him out of it. But that didn't work. So the next couple of times I just turned on his radio to AIR 1, and just prayed for him till he fell back asleep. Now this would put him back to sleep, but the next night or so, it would happen again. So I started to talk to people about it. His Chiropractor was one of them. He is a Christian and was asking if we thought it was spiritual. I did, I always think that stuff is spiritual. I mean come on, we have an enemy, that is constantly trying to stir up trouble in our lives. So I told him I pray for him when it happens, and that he will go back to sleep. But that the nightmares come back in a couple of days. So he mentioned something about unconfessed sin. I hadnt really thought about it much. But boy did I now. I did not want to think of my isuues affecting my kids. (which by the way...they always do...just not always in the same way) So I really spent some time praying and reflecting. All the while really praying for Toby too and that these nightmares would stop. So of course they got worst. A couple of the dreams he told me made me know for SURE that the enemy was behind them. He had one of them at nap time. He told me that there was a snake with three heads, and it was wrapping him up and wouldn't let him go. Another one, was that he was outside and there were people across the street. He said that he asked me to go over there, but I said no. He said "I made a bad choice and went across the street" (obviously knowing his disobeyed me) and he said that because he made a bad choice, the people turned into monsters and got him. I am sitting here shaking while I type. The symbolism in these dreams are just so spiritual in nature...there was no denying it. Well God revealed to me what my unconfessed sin was, and it wasn't some horrible deep dark secret, it was just some issues with Kevin that I had buried. No big deal really. But Kevin and I talked about them, asked and prayed for forgiveness. We also prayed for and over Toby. And especially over his room and soul. The next morning I was talking to Toby about how we prayed for him and how he doesn't have to be afraid of his dreams because Jesus is with him. I asked him if he knew that he could ask Jesus into his heart. I asked him if he knew that Jesus died on the cross for us. For him. For our sins. He died, so that we don't have to when we make mistakes or bad choices. He said he knew. So I asked him if he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart. And of course I got an enthusiastic "YEAH!!" So we prayed together and asked Jesus into his little heart. It was beautiful. Every night, after our bed times prayers, I prompt him to "say it". He then screams out "I am not afraid...because Jesus is in my heart" He declares it, and I say "AMEN!!" So now for the most amazing news...THE NIGHTMARES HAVE COMPLETELY STOPPED. Since he has asked Jesus into his heart, he has not had one single bad dream. I can't even tell you the relief that this brings to my heart. These dreams were in fact spiritual. There was a battle going on for his soul and guess what...God won...God ALWAYS wins. SO while these nightmares were horrible while they lasted, I am so thankful they happened. They forced me to look at my own heart and really fight for my sons. And all this resulted in (at least) one more soul in the kingdom of heaven. This kid will do great things for God...I just know it