Divine Hope

by Jo O'Neil

  Chapter Nine

  The Assignment

  ‘You’ve chosen me to save Hope Harper?’ I calmly reiterated to the Omega.

  ‘Yes, and I AM thrilled you are being so composed at the news. You truly are a testament to your name, Serena.’

  ‘It does feel surreal to be told I’m Hope Harper’s saviour and not feel the fires of hells damnation burning in every cell of my being,’ I continued with complete composure. ‘I’ve got to credit you, Lord, on your Karmic Laws and the ambiguities which serve you.’

  ‘My Laws are precise. Still, it does help to be able to apply common sense and set a precedent, which is what the Lords of Karma have wisely done in this case.

  ‘Now, to the business at hand; I have classified information concerning Hope Harper to share with you in order for you to help her. Before I begin I must tell you, Serena; it is imperative you succeed, for far more is at stake than Hope Harper’s soul.’

  ‘With all due respect, God, You’re being too vague. If I’m to take on this case for You, I need to know all the facts,’ I said as I thought even in my celestial body I hadn’t lost my thirst for law and order.

  God scanned my face as if He was reading my intent. On completion He said, ‘Very well; if you fail, Serena, humanity is at risk of annihilation.’

  My jaw dropped as my eyes bulged, but somehow I managed to retrieve my chin from the floor to form my next sentence.

  ‘Civilisation is in danger from what?’ A voice quite unlike mine left my mouth to ask.

  ‘Evil is running rampant. Even as we speak the dark forces grow in strength,’ God answered me quite detached.

  ‘What has this got to do with Hope Harper?’ I asked as I worked hard to keep an even tone.

  ‘Hope has inadvertently got herself tangled up in a web of deceit.’

  ‘Hmm . . . I’m not surprised. I always said she wasn’t to be trusted. I mean, just look at the tactics she used to steal Rupert away from me,’ I stated triumphantly, as if I had been right about Hope Harper’s wickedness all along. Unsurprisingly, thanks to the Lords of Karma, there was no trace of my former angst when I spoke about Hope.

  ‘Hope has been doing My work, Serena. While ordinarily the light repeals the dark, shadows loom and there are occurrences when powerful evil is attracted by My light workers.’

  I processed what God had just shared with me.

  Aware I was unclear on His meaning, He added, ‘If evil can vanquish one of My light workers, the conquest fast tracks the guilty up the destructive ladder to Lucifer.’

  ‘So we are at war with the Devil,’ I confirmed as the realisation that the Devil was at the core of this problem had just dawned on me.

  ‘Satan is always at the root of all evil. In this case he has not shown himself. Instead, he is using others to manipulate a good soul. You must save Hope Harper’s spirit, Serena. Hope plays a vital role, and without her contribution the whole of the spiritual ecosystem is in jeopardy.’

  ‘Who would have thought Hope’s on the good team with evil hunting her like a fox being chased by hounds,’ I thought aloud before realising I had omitted Hope’s last name for the first time as I finally viewed her as a genuine person as opposed to a femme fatale who needed the strong arm of God, which I represented, to help her.

  ‘We are here in My life review room so I can show you events that will aid you. But before we continue, I need to appeal to your soul, Serena, so it understands all we communicate here is holy and secret, for if you utter the slightest hint to another all may be lost.’

  Reflecting on God’s words I placed my right hand over my heart and replied, ‘I promise to keep safe all You reveal to me in my position as Your honorary angel, Father.’

  After I solemnly swore to be the soul of discretion, the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree screen flickered into action as God narrated the footage of the little blonde girl.

  ‘Hope Harper was born a sensitive. As a child she played with souls from heaven who were opposed to take human shape, but they still desired to partake in some earthly experience, so they took on a ghostly form. Of course her parents assumed her friends were imaginary, a by-product of the lonely-only-child-syndrome, for they had forgotten they too saw ghosts in their formative years’.

  ‘Often, parental conditioning that ghosts do not exist convinces the child’s mind this is so. Once a mind refuses to believe anymore, the brain will not register the ghost even if it appears directly in front of the individual. This is what happened to Hope’s parents. However, as Hope is one of My sensitives she did not lose the ability to converse with spirit.’

  ‘So why don’t you speak directly to Hope instead of involving me?’

  ‘If only it were that simple, My dear sweet Serena.’

  ‘You’re God. If something is too complex, surely You above anyone can rectify it?’

  ‘There would be no fun in that,’ He replied.

  I gave God a mystified look to which He responded, ‘There are those who blame Me for illnesses, injuries, and curses much worse. These are souls who are thinking from a human perspective and do not remember first and foremost they are spirit.’

  My look was far from enlightened so God proceeded.

  ‘Souls queue up to incarnate on earth. The human experience nurtures the soul’s growth, but for growth to occur the soul must choose the appropriate setting. Let us take a soul who wishes to learn patience. Do you imagine the soul will become skilled in the art of patience if all it is ever subjected to is experiences which do not require it to implement patience?’

  ‘I suppose not,’ I answered as I began to understand God’s logic.

  ‘Good.’ His eyes twinkled as He smiled at my grasp of the knowledge He was blessing me with. ‘So you agree it is far more appropriate for the soul to encounter scenarios which test the aptitude the soul wishes to enhance?’

  ‘Yes, but what has this got to do with Your statement about fun, illness, and injuries, and how do Hope and I fit in here?’

  God laughed before answering, ‘Patience, My darling Serena, is one of My highest virtues.’

  ‘OK, I know patience is a failing of mine so I appreciate Your help so I can perfect this skill.’ When God didn’t speak in my pause I added with a smile, ‘I will wait patiently until You are ready to explain further.’

  ‘Thank you, Serena,’ God sincerely addressed me. ‘Fun can be found in the complex, particularly for souls who have embodied into an intelligent persona. Envisage your life without any multi-dimensional circumstances; a life where every moment was simple and straight forward.’

  I didn’t need to humoured the Almighty to reply. Complications added to the zest in my life, particularly in relation to my profession.

  ‘I understand, but what about illness and injuries?’

  ‘If earth was in perfect health which eradicated the medical professional’s existence, what pray tell do you suggest the souls who petition Me to incarnate in Hippocrates footsteps do?’

  ‘Point taken,’ I humbly replied.

  ‘A soul who would like to experience dignity, or who may need to learn self-respect might well choose to die from an illness which can fulfill this need. No one likes to believe this is true for everyone is looking at it from a human perspective. Similarly, a soul who wishes to experience a type of incarceration other than legal imprisonment, could decide to injury itself sufficiently enough so the disability becomes the confinement. Another soul may also opt to injury itself to force the soul to adapt to becoming independent. These actions are done at soul level and are rarely conscious decisions, except by those who are spiritually enlightened.’

  I listened with interest to theories I had never entertained.

  God summed up His sermon by informing me, ‘The highest course of action a soul can take is to make no judgment whatsoever of his fellow man or of God. On this premise, will you trust Me, Serena, and help Hope Harper on the foundation I need you to intervene?’


  I answered, ‘I will,’ with more conviction than I had ever summoned before.

  God smiled as He informed me, ‘Hope kept her gift of spirit communication a secret from everyone, with the exception of her parents, until one day her neighbours four-year-old son vanished. The authorities suspected foul play. Hope knew for certain, thanks to the spirit world, that dishonourable persons were involved. The police had exhausted every possible lead until Hope, guided by spirit and encouraged by her parents to approach the authorities, gave the police a detailed description of not only the boy’s captives, but also where the boy was being held.

  ‘Because Hope remained true to herself and the gift I had bestowed upon her, she did more than reunite a family. The neighbourhood, understandably shocked such a crime could happen in their vicinity, stood united in their faith that all would be well. In the beginning they pulled together to help in the police search and took turns consoling the family, as well as preparing meals and looking after the older children who were only seven and nine at the time. By the time the crisis was over, they had developed such strong bonds; the strength of their community spirit has afforded their area My protection ever since. Now no one can practice evil in their locality, although their collective power does not shield them when they are away from their neighbourhood.’

  As I listened to God and watched the scenes of the emergency play before me in the sky, I found a new respect for Hope.

  ‘It was not long before Hope was asked to assist the police in their enquires with another adduction. With a one hundred percent success rate, Hope’s services were extended to the secret services.’

  ‘WOW! So Hope helps to fight crime not only at Collins, Harper, and Jones Solicitors, but for her Queen and country also.’

  God looked pleased at the admiration I had expressed for Hope. Like any good father, He also ensured credit was paid where credit was due.

  ‘Yes, but you, My Angel not only fight crime for Collins, Harper, and Jones Solicitors, but for Me and My Universe also. You are My Angelic Secret Agent. By this definition I will appoint the number 444 to you; for 444 is the number that has been associated with angels since Archangel Michael, the First Angel, was blessed with wings.’

  ‘Thank you, Father. I am truly honoured. Please tell me ‘Corruption! Dishonesty has infiltrated the British Secret Service. Of course the evil within can be traced back via a cleverly woven network to Lucifer. He was such a promising angel before his fall from grace,’ God reminisced. Bringing Himself back to the present He informed me, ‘Very soon Hope will be privy to some information which will put her at risk unless she joins Lucifer. Hope is one of My most loyal and trustworthy subjects. Accordingly, she will never fall from My favour. I reward such loyalty, Serena.’

  God paused before solemnly asking me, ‘Even though I have awarded you honorary angelic status you are still human, Serena, and thus I honour and respect your free will. To comply with My sacred Laws of the Universe I must ask you, will you be My Angelic Spy and go to Hope Harper’s rescue?’

  Without hesitation I answered, ‘I will shake the foundations of the British Secret Service with the army of angels you have allocated to me, Father, until I bring justice to Your Cosmos.’

  ‘Then you will need this,’ He said as He handed me a glittering, silver, five point star with the number 444 boldly embossed in the centre. ‘Keep it safe, and if any angel, demon, or human disputes your position, show them your heavenly talisman, whereupon they will accept your authority,’ God said just before He hugged me.