The Front Porch
It had been over
three weeks
since my friend, MK,
had messaged me
asking for prayer,
asking for divine protection,
and sharing with me
his intense struggle
with fear and paranoia.
It had been over
three weeks
that I had been
on bent knees
praying and interceding
for God’s protection,
for God’s intervention,
for God’s power
to break through
into MK’s life
and set him free.
Now,
I was finally
standing face to face
with my precious friend
on his front porch.
And this standing
face to face –
here on the front porch –
was a sacrifice of love
in every sense of the word –
for him
and for me.
While he stood there
unguarded –
out in the open,
eyes shifting
left to right
and right to left
in response to
every. single. sound.
and
every. single. movement.
around us,
I stood there
uncomfortable
with a wounded hand,
pain radiating
through my fingers,
through my hand,
and up my arm.
His love
for me
kept him
standing there.
My love
for him
kept me
standing there.
And God –
in His
ABUNDANT love
for him and for me,
kept us both
standing there –
in His strength
and in His might –
for such a time as this.
ABUNDANCE
This is the word
God spoke to my heart
as my word for the year
for 2024.
With tears of confession,
I admitted
I didn’t know much
about paranoia
and the mental implications
surrounding it.
“It’s like there are
two voices in my head,
and the one telling me
I’m in danger
is the loudest.
Even when people
I know love me
assure me
there is nothing
to be afraid of,
the voice of fear
convinces me there is .”
With tears of heartache,
I admitted
I couldn’t even begin
to truly understand
the struggle he was facing,
the battle he was fighting,
the pain and frustration
he was enduring.
“It can be so hard
and terribly frustrating
because when I’m feeling
so afraid
and family or friends
tell me I’m ok
and there’s nothing to fear,
I feel as though
they are not taking me seriously,
they are not “hearing” me,
they don’t realize I am in danger
and because they don’t
it makes the fear even worse.”
With tears of grief,
I shared
it broke my heart
to know he had
lost so much of life
being held captive
by fear,
off and on again
for the past twenty years.
“I try to do my best
to fight back.
When I know it’s getting worse,
I seek help.
I checked myself
into the hospital
several weeks ago.
I’m on new meds now
and I’m in group therapy
and that is helping a lot.”
With words of silent prayer,
I pleaded with the Spirit
to give me His words,
to speak to my heart
scriptures to share,
hope to give,
fear-breaking power to weild.
And He did,
in ABUNDANCE.
As I spoke,
powerful truth
from The One who is
The Way, The Truth and The Life
began to flow
from my heart
and into MK’s.
“I don’t know much
about Paranoia,
so I honestly can’t
speak to that,
but I do know this:
God didn’t give us
a spirit of fear.
His word says
He gave us instead
power,
love,
and a sound mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7)
Power.
Love.
A sound mind.
With these three things,
we have all we need.
To fight those voices
in your head, MK,
you need to know
1. what is true and
2. to believe it even though.”
As we stood
on his front porch,
his eyes,
when not distracted
by a movement or sound,
were riveted to mine.
One after another,
God ABUNDANTLY
supplied verse after verse
for me to share with
this precious soul
He and I both
love so much.
“Have you ever prayed
and asked God
to heal you from this?”
“No.
Don’t get me wrong.
I pray all the time,
but I just thank Him.
It doesn’t seem right
to ask Him for anything.”
“Giving thanks
is so important
and it’s a beautiful way
to keep our hearts
aware of God’s presense in our life.
But,
God also wants us,
invites us, in fact,
to bring
all our cares,
all our concerns,
all our worries,
all our needs
to Him.”
“But He knows
all our needs already,”
“You are so right,
He does.
Just like God inviting us
to cast our cares on Him,
our praying and sharing
our needs with God
invites Him into our life
to help us.
It’s like a child
going to their Father for help.”
And as if to bring
this whole conversation
to a “this is it” stopping place,
the Spirit
gave me this
scripture of instruction
and promise
to speak over MK
and to MK.
“It all comes
down to this, MK:
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything
by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving,
let your requests
be made known to God;
and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard
your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.“
~Phillippians 4:6-7
“Jesus came that we might have life
and have it more ABUNDANTLY.
Everything we need
is found in Him.
Get in the Word, MK.
Get on your knees.
Cry out to God.”
“I will.
I promise I will.”
And the way he said
“I will”
made me know
he would.
Then,
oh then,
finally then –
I took
his hand in mine,
while he
with his other hand
gently cradled my wounded hand,
and we prayed.
Hand in hand,
heart to heart,
right there on the front porch,
we called on the God of heaven
to guide him,
to lead him,
to teach him,
to protect him,
to surround him,
to empower him,
to fill him,
to free him.
And the Spirit
met with us –
so tenderly,
so powerfully,
so undeniably.
We said “amen”
and then hugged.
“So . . .
I’ve never been bitten
by a dog before.
What should I do?
Do I need to go to Urgent Care?”
“Yes, you probably should.
Even though you keep telling me
not to feel bad about this,
I just can’t help it.”
“I know.
But really,
all I want you to think about,
all I want running
through your mind and heart
is what we just talked about.
Think about that.”
And again,
his answer:
“I will.”
As I got in my car
and buckled my seatbelt,
I looked at my watch.
God has graciously
given me
almost an hour and a half
to talk with MK.
I prayed MK
would continue
the conversation with Him
the rest of his life.
Just as MK had been
attentive to me,
I prayed the eyes
of his heart
would be riveted on God
as he left the front porch
and headed back into his life.
And the
ABUNDANCE
of joy
that filled my heart –
there were no words
to adequately
thank my God.
With tears of thanksgiving,
I backed out
of his driveway
and headed to Urgent Care.
~Stacy
This post is the seventeenth post in the ABUNDANCE series.
The first post is “Abundance”, followed by “FULLY LOVED”, “In a New Light”, “Less is More”,“Choose Life”,“Run to The Father”, “Keep Looking”, “Doubling Up”, “The Referral”,“The Question”, “Death Brings Life” “Surrender” , “I’ve Got a God For That”, “Live Out Loud“, “MK” and “Finally”
