The Stained Robe:

“Why is your robe stained at the bottom and on the sleeves?”

“I am called to assist in child training—the kind that squeezes the child—like being in a wine press. These,” he looked down at the stains, “are visible signs of the child’s development. The more stains, the greater the work has progressed within the child. Obedience is not learned easily, Anna. Some on earth never learn it.”

“Are you an angel assigned to help train me?” I asked.

“I am assigned to you.”
“Helping to train people in obedience cannot be a pleasant job.”

The angel replied, “It is of great significance to the Father and absolutely necessary. By this time in your life, my robe should be entirely stained and my face and hands dripping, but there are only stains on the hem and sleeves. So may I suggest that you are hindering your growth through known disobedience. Immediate gratification can never replace serving the Lord with a whole heart. Such obedience releases joys untold.”