The Mask of Fraud

Have you ever caught a glimpse of your life and thought.......this is a Jerry Springer moment? Well, I hope your answer is "No, absolutely not!". Well, me neither.............usually........

Ironicially, I have been spending time peeling back my masks......while someone right in front of me has been totally disguised by a mask of her own....

A person has been in my life he past couple of months that has managed to turn it upside down. It's in the process of flipping back upright....but it might take a minute.

At first I was in shock, and perhaps even a bit of denial. Then I was hurt....deeply. I woke up this morning at 4am to sounds of angry roaring thunder, hostile lightening flashes, and heavy wounded rain beating on the side of my house, as if it were trying to get back at my house for prior wrong doing. Asher woke up screaming. After I got him and put him in bed with me, I lay there listening to the mad stormy dance going on outside of my house, and I realized, now I am just blazing mad and I want to act like this thunderstorm. I want to make an entrance! I want to scare her! I want to be louder than her! I want to wound her back! And I want her to come out soaking soppy wet.

I cannot tell the whole story because first, telling the whole story is not my place...and I'm sure some of it will never come to the light. But this involves a person who has targeted and befriended people all over the country evidently and she has lied lied lied. I don't know how many people have been hurt by her. But her lies have been HUGE. I was not a personal target of hers....but I got introduced in the mix and we became fast friends, and I was asked to be her Realtor, to help her buy a home in Nashville. And let me just say.......this would have been a life changing commission for me. Literally.....life changing..... I have worked so hard to identify the right houses. I have showed her numerous ones. I have inconvenienced many other realtors to obtain info, gain access into these exquisite homes, etc. I have even contacted a contractor to inquire about an expansion. She never had any intention of buying one of these homes. It is doubtful that she even had the means. Yea...this is embarrassing. And so yes, that hurts. No life changing commission coming my way via her......but that isn't the worst....not even close.

She told me her dad died.
She told me her sister is dying.
She told me she personally has cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy.
She told me so much more....big huge doses of more and more and more...
She has broken down into tears in my presence, numerous times....and I have cried with her.
We have had conversations and written exchanges about faith and Jesus.
I have shared intimate stories of my precious family with her.
She has elaborately lied about doctors appointments, test results, etc....to the point you would almost consider her a master mind.
She has lied about little things too. I don't think she has told one true thing. I bet she doesn't even have dogs.

I was a tiny casualty in this. She has lied to other people about bigger things, and some of the same things. She has misrepresented herself in monumental ways, taken advantage of other sweet spirits, and she has made other life changing promises that she had no intention of following through on.

I was fairly warned on Friday not to do business with her. I spent Saturday with her knowing that she was wearing a mask and knowing that my time and investment in her was a waste. I didn't want it to be true. But it is. In fact, on Saturday morning, I even did my own digging and located a critical phone number and email address of someone who could help us all determine some truth. (Yes, I'm smart like that!!). I had decided that as much as I didn't want this to be a lie, if it was a lie, I wanted her stopped asap. Her phony world was revealed and confronted yesterday. I can only hope and pray that she gets help and that she never has another victim. What I don't know is if she acted out of maliciousness or out of some kind of sickness.

I have written this out for a few reasons. One....is just to get it out of me. I need to release it. I want to forgive her for what she has done to me emotionally, and for what she has done to many of the other people that I care about. I want to invite you, my readers, to share with me any grace giving insights, advice, etc.....because if you speak God's word to me, I am sure I will be better for it.

Thank God that I do not have a spirit of revenge. I want her to be well. I want her to be healed, if this is indeed some sort of sickness in her mind. I want people to rally around her in love. I want her to hear God so clearly that she redeems herself in His sight. My heart is healing even as I type this. I took a break and grabbed my bible and found this....which I fully believe. If someone has harmed you, lied to you or even robbed you of something.....I offer you this verses:

Romans 12: 12-21
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Father, my prayer today is that she will know you are real, that her mind will be healed of her delusions. My prayer is that in light of her exposure, that although a pit may be her immediate destiny, that you will lovingly refine her and work in her to bring glory to you someday, here on this earth. I pray that all the wounds she has inflicted along the way are superficial at worst and that time will soon fade the memory of what many are feeling today, including myself. I want grace to sweep over her and your loving arms to hold her, forgive her, and love her back to who you intended for her to be. I pray you will show me clearly what it is you want for me to learn in this confusing situation, that I too will be refined and that the plan you have for me in this will be used to show others your love and your kingdom. Please heal my heart, renew me, make me clean and new as I go out and present you to my little corner of the world. Please fill me with grace and forgiveness. Thank you for calming my anger as I have written this out and thank you for leaving in my heart, your peace and joy. Praise be to You Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen.