The Exorcist

Not the movie...the hitchhiker.

I was driving from Breckenridge today and I pulled over for a hitchhiker in a coat and tie. I know..I know...picking up people on the side of the road could be dangerous, but I figure it's good karma for when one day I find myself without a car. Besides, I still have a lot of rides to pay back from my youth. But the main reason I'll pick someone up is because they will usually reward me with a story.

Peter gratefully slid into the van and introduced himself. He was about my age and said he was from Africa. He'd been in the states for about two years and wasn't going back because his family was dead and that the blacks had taken all of his family's land away from him. (Peter was white)

"So you've just been traveling for 2 years, Peter?"
"Yes. I go wherever the lord sends me."
"How do you make a living?"
"Well, I do some construction, but mostly I'm an exorcist."
"Sorry. What did you say?"
"Exorcist. I cast demons out of people."

Soooo cooool! I picked up an exorcist!! I was excited because he was my first exorcist and I knew he'd have a good story.

"Wow. How long have you been doing that? Did you have any formal training"
"No Jim. I just do what the lord tells me. I've been doing it about 20 years.I've always been a man of spirit."
"How exactly do you go about it?" Is there a ritual or something?"
"Every case and every demon is different. Mostly it's just fasting and a lot of prayer. People don't realize they can do it themselves if they are strong enough. You just have to fast for 48 hours...have nothing but water...and the demon literally starves and weakens and is more susceptible to your prayers. There's directions in the book of Matthew, you know."

He covered quite a bit in the 20 minute drive to the freeway. He told me more about demons (apparently they are pretty tricky) and about Africa and a 4,000 foot waterfall by his home, and the unfairness of losing his home and the good works he's been doing in America. After he finishes helping with the spiritual matters of some Mexican families in the area, he is heading to Galveston to help the Hurricane victims. He's also heading down to the gulf because there is another major hurricane headed there this year. (God told him)

When I arrived at his on-ramp he asked if he could pray for me. I accepted and bowed my head and heard a fairly standard prayer of gratitude and forgiveness, but then I heard him ask God to triple my "guard of angels". I was pleased for a couple of reasons. I'd heard that I might have a guardian angel but not a whole guard of them. (that sounds like several, right?) Well what ever the number was before, it is tripled now!

As his hand was on the door handle, he paused and asked if I could spare a few dollars. I gave him a five and he told me to expect a miracle in the next few days.

What a bargain. $5 for a miracle and triple the angels I had before. Thanks Peter!