This Is How the Devil Buffers Us

Last night I had a late dinner after I did a wedding rehearsal. Since it was so late, I decided to eat out rather than start cooking that late. I then needed to run downtown to pick up mail from the post office. On the way back, I happened to see someone I know coming out of a bar. She was staggering and fell down. I stopped to help her and ended up taking her to a relatives house because she was so intoxicated that I was worried for her safety. But here's the thing...  I almost did not stop to help her, and even when I did, I was very reluctant to put her in my van. There were a couple of men out there making very crude sexual comments to her and about her, and then about me when I put her in my van. The reason I was so reluctant I had just recently been weathering accusations that I had been seen and photographed with a teenage girl and that supposedly these pictures showed that I was "all over her" in a sexual way. Of course, the pictures cannot be produced and the story keeps changing as I tried to defend myself against these accusations. Bottom line is that I know that none of it is true and that it is people being used by satan to hurt and hinder me. I'd like to say that it has not hurt me, but let's get honest, when people you know and have put yourself out there to help in the past turn on you and spread vicious accusations that there is absolutely no way to prove yourself innocent of, it hurts. It makes me very gun shy and reluctant to help others. Last night, I almost drove right on by because I know good and well that someone is going to most likely spread some more lies about me. This is how satan goes about buffering us. He puts limitations on us because we walk in fear of further attack or pain.  You may say that this was a great victory last night... but in many ways it is not, because I'm just waiting for the accusations to come once again. Trust me, they will come.

Sad that we have to live under that kind of fear, isn't it?