After venturing out into the night with a battery-operated lantern and a prayer for discernment, a young man sees darkness like never before as God reveals so much more.

Gage’s hands trembled as he adjusted his feathery angel wings and lifted the battery-operated lantern. Ever since he “sold out” to Christ during his last year in high school, he had agreed to do whatever God said, even if it made him nervous or people thought he was weird.

“Okay, Lord,” he whispered, closing the door behind him. “Show me what to do.”

The autumn sun still hung well above the horizon, but darkness already hovered over the street, bringing a cold chill to his spirit. He’d been asking God to help him understand things, “discernment,” his pastor called it. Gage figured God had answered his prayer.

As he stepped into the flow of people along the sidewalk, a towering, motion-sensor skeleton in a nearby yard growled as it reached for a group of children wearing costumes carrying pumpkin buckets. The kids screamed and huddled together while two women pushing strollers laughed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gage spotted a little girl wearing a witch’s hat who’d dropped her candy bag, staring wide-eyed at a shadow oozing at her from an alleyway.

“Jesus, protect her,” he whispered.

At the mention of His name, a light wrapped around the girl as the shadow seemed to dissolve into the ground. The girl picked up her bag and ran off, her hat falling to the curb.

“Hey, Gage. Nice costume.”

Gage knew the sarcastic voice behind the white mask and ripped overalls. He had known Trevor since grade school. Only now, his eyes appeared as dark stones sinking into murky waters.

“Isn’t that a little kid’s costume?” Trevor asked. “Like a little girl’s?”

Trevor’s gory-masked buddies cackled as they shoved past Gage, who turned in time to see darkness clinging to their backs, shadows sticking to them like sand on wet feet.

Gage whispered a prayer as he switched on his lantern before heading in the direction of the movie theater, where both a horror movie and a Jesus flick were playing.

“You going in dressed like that?” a man asked, stepping in front of Gage to buy a ticket.

Gage shook his head.

The guy scoffed. “I was kidding. You’re one of those Jesus-pushers, aren’t you? Trying to ruin everybody’s night. Well, you look like an idiot, and just so you know—”

The man’s lips moved, but Gage heard no sound. It was as if someone covered his ears from the hateful words being spewed at him. After the guy paid for his ticket and stepped inside, Gage’s ears opened. He exhaled and leaned against the wall, the angel wings pressing into his back, as couples entered the theater. Some appeared as lanterns themselves, shining in the darkness, while others remained unaware of the evil that shrouded them. Gage bowed his head, but instead of praying, he covered his face and began to sob.

Suddenly, a child shrieked. “Mommy, look at all the angels over there! But why is that one crying?”

Gage opened his eyes. He saw no angels surrounding him, but he knew they were there, protecting him and even shielding his ears moments ago. He also knew he’d often asked God to break his heart for what broke His. And on this day, Gage realized God had answered that prayer, too.

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8,11 ESV.)

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