Practicing Occlumency And Avoiding Legilimency

Whew!  In a little less than 4 hours, when the clock strikes 12, that will be the conclusion of yet another "one heck of a weekend" in the life of Heather Byrd.  Everyone has their moments, this I have learned well, but I am coming to realize that my "moments" are being had more often than ever before.  What is different now, though, is that I am beginning to learn from these moments.  Now, don't think I've found some new, exciting answer to life, because I haven't, and I'm not learning much, but I'm just happy to be learning.  Some of this is nothing new and some is still a mystery, but one thing I have learned is that there was a good reason for my reading Harry Potter, beyond the simple truth that reading makes you smarter.

In the fifth book of the series, Harry's enemy Lord Voldemort begins sending thoughts and visions into Harry's head.  Voldemort uses these things to draw out anger in Harry causing him to react and get closer to Voldemort, which is what Voldemort desires as he is out to kill Harry.  The practice of sending thoughts and such into someone's head J.K. Rowling names Legilimency.  What I have realized lately (by lately I mean in the last two years or so) is how easy of a target I am for my enemy, Satan.  And what makes me an easy target is that when he puts thoughts/ideas into my head, I believe them, even when they aren't true (and they never are).  I will believe just about anything: I'm fat, I'm depressed, I'm suicidal (with reason to be so), I'm stupid, I'm lazy, I'm too far away from God, none of my friends like me, I have no friends, God just can't replace Keaton, no Christian guy will ever date me, I'm going to die, someone I love is going to die, my parents aren't really saved, I don't know how to manage money, or time, etc.  The list goes on, and those are just the things that have come into my mind in the last week.  In just one week getting all of those things thrown at you in such convincing manners, can really get you down, and it did.  There is good news and there is bad news.  The good news is there is a way to fight this, the bad news is that I haven't been.

In the book, after a viscous attack from Voldemort, Harry's professors make him being private lessons of Occlumency.  Occlumency is the practice of closing off your mind from penetration, influence, and intrusion.  This gives me hope, however, just as in the book when Harry has a hard time learning this, I know that it is not going to be easy to go through with the practice.  It's difficult to not believe the lies when there is nothing immediately in front of you to support the truth.  But, I know that they are all lies and the only way to fight them is to keep praying and seeking the Lord, even when all I want to do it sleep.  So my goal for the next... extended period of time... is to practice occlumency and fight against legilimency. 

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"

Romans 8:1   KJV