Transcript
Steven G. Avaloy #V—44243 Salinas Valley State Prison P.O. Box #1050 Soledad, CA 93960 Word Count: 2,239. Visions of the Night ' “For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it, In a dream, in vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man. He does so to keep back his soul from the Pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.” (JOB 33:14-18) Before something dreadful happens to us we usually get some type of warning, which we never pay attention to. Most of the time our loved ones try to warn us that we are traveling down the wrong path. Sometimes that warning will come either to them or to us, in a dream. If you ever, sit down and read the Bible and understand what it is saying, it shows us that God tries to warn His people before He does something horrible to them. “ Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.. ‘Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fearof the LORD. They would I have none of My counsel and despised My every rebuke.” (Proverbs 2:24-27, 29-30) Before I was sentenced to 25 years in California State Prison for burglary and robbery, both my ex-sister in-law and my ex-mother in-law tried to warn me that something terrible was about to happen to me. They both told me that they had been having some bad dreams about me. Their dreams were both the same. My ex-mother in-law said to me; “I had a dream about you last night. I woke up in a cold sweat and my clothers were soaking wet with sweat. All I could see was your face. A lot of police were around you. The police helicopters and the news were there too, and a lot of people were standing around watching. But I couldn’t see what was happening to you. So please be careful out there.” This was the dream, the night vision that she told me. I At the time I didn’t think anything of it. Then the next day my ex-sister in-law came and told me the same dream her mother had told me, It was the exact same dream. “ The He said; ‘Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD, make Myself lmown to Him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream” (Numbers 12:6) I did not know that God showed people things through their dreams. However, when Marry had Jesus and king Herods’ men were sent out to kill Him, Joseph had a dream that the kings men were coming to kill Jesus. For God had spoken to Joseph in a dream showing Joseph this in a night vision [Matthew 2:12-15]. And Joseph listened to what was spoken to him in his dream and took Jesus somewhere where He was kept safe. But what if Joseph hadn’t listened to his dream! then what? Likewise, what if I would have took heed to my ex—mother and ex—sister in~laws’ dreams? I probably wouldn’t be here in prison right now. My ex-mother in-law and ex—sister in-law were dreaming of me so much that they had began to scare me. Not because of their dreams, but because they believed in witch craft and voodo. That is what was making me scared of them. For what I had also failed to realize is that God can speak through “anyone” to deliver a message He wants delivered. “They have forsaken the right way andgone astray,following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity; a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s mouth restrained the madness of the prophet.” « (11 Peter 2: 15-16) Nevertheless, that wasn’t the only warning that God tried to show me. Like I said earlier, God tries to warn us in so many different ways. “ While he (Pontius Pilate) was sitting on the seat (preparing to pass judgment on Jesus) his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” (Matthew 27:19) Oh why did I not take the warning: One night I had a little too much to drink and smoke, but I still wanted to get high and drunk. So I asked my ex-father in-law to use his car. He had a station wagon that we called the “Honey Wagon.” He gave me the keys and didn’t ask me a single question, but before I had a chance to walk though the door my son’s mother stopped me and asked me “Where are you going?’,’ On 92nd, I replied. “For what?” She asked sharply. To go hang out with the hommies, I answered. “You don’t needto be going anywhere!” she exclaimed in a V dreadful voice. I kissed her on the cheek and just walked out the door, got in the station wagon and drove straight to the spot where they sold P.C.P. From there all I remember was driving through the projects. When I would regain a glimpse of consciousness I recalled just driving a round in a large, circular, left—looping motion thinking that I was driving back home. Then, before I knew it, I myself in Ii./XX. airport! When I looked upl could see police cars coming towards me. I don’t know how I got out of there, or how I made it home that night. But the next morning my son’s mother was screaming and yelling at me to get up. “You wrecked my father car!” she yelled. No I did not, I answered her. “Yes you did! ‘If you did not werck his car,then who did you let drive it then?” she said. “Once again, I did not wreck his car or lend it to anyone.” I responded, bewildered. “Well you need to come look at it then, and tell him that yourself.” She huffed. When I went outside to look at it and saw the car my chin dropped to the floor. The station wagons engine was practically sitting in the drivers seat! I told him; “I don’t know what happened.” He said, “were you that drunk that you don’t know what happened!?” I did not say a word back to him. I was speachless. I just walked off like nothing happened. Approximately two weeks later my ex—father in—law recieved a letter from the police department informing him that if he didn’t come down to the police station they ‘ would put a warrant out for his arrest, that his drivers license would be suspended, and that his car would be impounded. He showed the letter to me, and then somberly said, “Don’t worry about I’ll handle it.” “No! I said, ‘I’ll go down there with you and tell them what happened and that I was responsible for your car that night.” But he said, “No, you don’t even remember what happened that night. You could have killed someone. You have my daushter to worry about, and your boys to think of.” I Another week went by before we got to the police station. At this time we still didn’t know what was going on. My ex—sister in-law and my son’s mother took my ex- father in—law and I down to the police station. When we got down there my son’s mother said to me, “Don’t go in there. Let my dad handle that.” I can’t let your father go to jail for something I did. I said to her. “He’s not tripping, let him go in there to see whats happening first, before you go in there.” My ex said. “No, I’ll be alright” I expressed to her. Then my ex—sister in-law spoke, saying, “Do you remember that dream I was telling you about? well this might be it right here. You got your boys to think of.” I didn’t say a word back to her. I just got out of the car and walked into the police station with my father in-law. My father in-law walked straight to the desk and started talking with the officer, who told him to wait a minute while he went to get the sergeant. The sergeant took us to a room in the back of the building. Once we got in the room, the sergeant said: “You hit three cars in a head—on collision. One of the peoples who’s car you hit followed you to the L.A.X. airport and took down your license plate number. So what happened that night?” He asked. “I didn’t know I hit three cars,” I said. My ex—father in-law added; “He told me that he was at the gas station and some guy was trying to jack him for the car.” “Is that true?’ The sergeant asked me. “Yes, it is.” I answered him. “Well, thank you for being honest with me. I’m not going to arrest you because you came in and told me what happened.” The sergeant thenadded, “As for me, I don’t know rather you were drinking or not, we will let the court be the judge of that.” The sergeant was then through talking with us. And my father in-law and I got up and left the station. The meeting went better than we both had thought. “The LORD is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:9) A month later I was at home drinking and smoking with my son’s mother and her best friend. My son’s mother soon passed out on me, and her best friend left. Yet I still wanted someone to’ get high and drunk with. So I went by one of my homeboys’ house to see if he wanted to party. But he had other plans, plans that I did know about. He had noticed that I was loaded out of my mind, so he took me on a ride I will never forget. I can’t forgive myself for what I did that night. I was so high on PCP. and drunk that I did not know what was going on until it was too late. When I became partly conscious again I found myself roaming around in someone’s house. I remember thinking to myself, “What am I doing here. I don’t need any of this stuff”, just as I began walking out. As soon as I got out the door the police were there, everywhere, with guns drawn out and pointed at me. The police had the house surrounded! Police and police cars were everywhere. There were four or five police helicopters circling over the house, And news reporters from every news station in the city was there. --FREEZE! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! You see; My eX—mother and ex-sister in—laws dreams came true! The exact same way they described their dreams to me was exactly the way it went down. Now their dreams have become my living nightmare all because I didn’t take heed to the word and warning of God that had come to me in THE VISION OF THE NIGHT. I leave behind two boys whom I love very deeply. I haven’t seen them in over five years. I would love to see them but their mother has turned her back on me. and my family, and hers, has an “I Told You So” attitude. And I am left with no recourse. The only hope I have is in the repentance of the heart, and the renewed trust that I have in the Living Word of God. Of Whomhas promised, and assures that: “All things work together for the good to those who love Him (God), to those who are the called according to His purpose.” [Romans 8:28]. And that: “Whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom Helreceives” [Hebrews 12:6]—— Because, “The goodness of God leads one to repentance” [Romans 2:4]. So though I now sit trapped in the reality of this night vision come true, I know there is hope. It is now in the light of that hope that I am reaching out to you (everyone reading this) through this TRUE life story. No one was hurt or killed when I did this crime. *AND// In sincere repentance; To any and everyone whom I may have hurt or offended by my blind-eyed foolishness in the making of these truths: I repent. And ask that you will please forgive me. *ALSO: To anyone willing to extend a helping hand towards changing this situation from bad to good (or in helping me to keep ties with my boys, and to bringing forth fruits befitting of repentance), please feel free to contact me—-— I could surely use an understanding friend. THE END.
