His lips are like concrete cracked beneath a florescent sun
my hands are gloved blue to hold one more moistened sponge
not hyssop or wine, nor vinegar,whiskey or the enemy gall
just one drop of water, i say …” one drop , the physician says that all.”
his eyes draw open , a pool of blue thanks ,reflecting Our distant light
His eyes flicker as sparks of joy like darting fire flies in the night
The sponge falls from my shaking fingers onto a blanket of white
” A drop is enough for now” he says”the physician may be right”
The sponge I toss with its debris to fellowship with waste
Ive so many more patients ,my care is killed by haste
The drawing of blood and plans,injections , bedpans and pills
Thinking “Is not this thirst of his the least of many ills ?”
But ….,
His “Thankyou, ” I hear follow me like a clinging child
“That will last me for today” the man said so softly and mild
I stop with pill and pan and blankets towels pillows and sheets
There comes this moment where pride drops all at Jesus’s lips and feet
“Oh have mercy my God our Father on these and mine parched soul
Oh have mercy God our Father on both us whom the “bell doth toll”
Oh have mercy God our Father, we feel one drop from you as a stream
One drop from you is a river, breaking through heart’s concrete seams.”
For I know there’s a physician Lord over this parched nurses heart
Who gives manna and water for souls daily start
And on this very morn , I, ungrateful for a drop of blood
Still jesus quenched my lips and now to my soul ,His body , He floods
Notes:
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”Isaiah 41:17
We all are the ” poor and needy” and God has “answered us ” by His Living water , His Son.
“I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
Isaiah 41:18, 20
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'””
SHORT POSTS OF ADORATION IN BUSY TIMES OF VOCATION
The room is lit with lights . Small lights , large lights, like spotlights on a stage . Lights from pumps for the heart, pumps for the lungs, pumps for medications, pumps for suctions, pumps for feedings and the pump I brought. The pump in place of the kidney.
A large light beams from the ceiling onto the center stage, a bed. It is light. Bright but not natural. Every beam shines small and with purpose onto the stage where one man is set central. A man ready for the performance of his life.
Eight adult children sit in the background of the pumps. I, the nurse, watch the man on the stage. They watch me. We all look for signs as to who to believe. We listen to the minor roles speak.” His prognosis is Poor” “his heart is good as dead””his kidneys are shot”” His lungs are filled with fluid” . The words that hovered on computer and paper and minds all around are now released. Unbelieving words that never can land rightly. They only ricochet around and around the room.
I wait my turn. Then , enter with words. I recite the script that I have memorized for years. “Ill do the best I can ” I say. Clear loud with confidence. The words leave to join the chorus of dancing phrases.
Suddenly, impromptu a voice enters. ” do your best ,that’s all we can ask” the small plea bends around a pole from the back of the room. Another well memorized line from audience and cast heard over and over many episodes in the same theatre.
The script is the same but the players are different. Their movements seem to contradict the plot.The small voice calling “do your best” has a face tilted up and not down. Shadows from lights show a bend. A glimpse away from the stage I see hands held tight. Nothing moves but a bible dripping and dipping off one bended knee.
Moving the props and changing the scene, I wonder. Could she break away from script and call for another playwrit?. Could she ask for more if she wanted? Who is writing the lines on her bended knee?.
I drop syringe and lift up my mask. My part must be abandoned. I step away from the stage. Away from the lights, away from the camera, away from the script, dodging every word that lingers in the room.
I look at the face of the voice to say “Yes,That is all you can ask of me. But of Him . . HIM who made this man. . .please ask much more”
1. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
2. “Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”
A TRUE STORY OF THE HEART OF BROTHER ROSO AND WATCHMEN OF PRAYER
“For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “AMEN” to the GLORY of God.”
2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 AMP
Two of my favorite sounds in Our Father’s house are the sound of brother Roy saying “glory” and the sound of brother Chris saying “amen.” When these two sounds come together it seems as if nothing else needs to be said.
Now I know, there are many sounds in Daddy’s house that speak . Some heard and some not heard. Some are so loud they make stomping feet shake Essie’s china cabinets. Some are so strong they make knees wobble down to the dusty gray floor. Yet, others are so free and light that they simply float through the air brightening every face.
Mostly, every word from heaven flies from Daddy’s office until it lands to perform its work.(1) Like a hundred drifting ballons, words fill the air all the time ready to release a promised word. Hundreds of sounds, waiting everywhere. .But on Sunday they are especially fat and filled and ready to pop.
One “glory ” with one ” amen” seems to seal heavenly deals (2). Right there ,the brother praying and the brother receiving the prayer, hand shake agreement over every spoken promise with Our Father in Heaven. As these hands hold these promises , it is like watching kids hold a three chord strand of a helium balloon. A big holy air filled balloon from Daddy’s office. Sometimes I want to shout What if we all would say “glory” and “amen”? . What if we all let loose a “thy will be done” I bet ,like confetti, promises would burst from balloons from Our Fathers lap?.
I always ask and imagine things like this on Sunday . I use to not ask or imagine at all. I use to just want and hope. I use to want every sound to be real and hope it would come true. But long ago, Our father gave me a pastor, and he said to me ” Sis, if you would just BELIEVE every time you pray you will invite the Glory of God to meet the Amen of God! And you will see miracles” I kinda thought bout things different after that. I started asking and imagining a whole lot more things of God. .And that’s when “glory” and “amen” became my favorite sounds.
So, On Sunday, when brother Roy stood by Brother Chris, I stood near ready to hear a “glory and amen.” I was ready to ask and imagine big things.(3) Brother Roy was asking for prayer from brother Chris because he said the doctor told him he needed a “Watchmen” put in his heart. That , to me, sounded like a big thing to ask and imagine.
See,brother Roy had already told me that the doctor said he had a small extra piece in his heart that was causing him trouble. It was like a little culdesac in the road of vessels in his heart. As blood got caught in this culdesac , it could stir up the blood and make it clumpy blood . Just one little clump in the heart could kill a man. The doctor said he needed to take out that piece that was causing all the trouble so this wouldn’t happen.
“They need to take out that ‘troublemaker’ so that brother Roy’s heart would be all right”I told my stayin prayin sister.
But to take out the troublemaker they had to put in what the doctor folks called a” watchman. ” A Watchmen’ would catch any clot and keep it from hurting our brother Roy. So brother Roy agreed with what the doctor was going to do. And on Sunday, like our the ancient Brother James taught, he asked for prayer so that he would be healed(4)
Our brother Chris said “yes ” to Brother roy’s obedience to Our father in asking for prayer . And when Brother Chris said that he would pray , Brother Roy let out a Big “glory to God!!!”. That’s when everything cranked out heavenly helium. Baloons balloons ballons. Ballons of belief, filled with glory, tied by an amen, let loose through the air. .
But then very suddenly brother Chris stopped and asked “whats that thing they are putting in your heart Brother?”
” A watchman” brother Roy replied. ” Well ” brother Chris stepped back
Then looking at brother Roys chest he said “you already got a watchman and his name is Jesus.”
Then came the “AMEN” and every brother and sister said” amen amen!!!.” .
We all went to our rooms thinking about Our Fathers goodness and the sounds of Jesus. And we all went to our rooms thinking about that certain prayer for Brother Roy .I was believing like the other folks that my brother Roy was already healed . But, I also believed it might be a big deal getting that watchman in Brother Roy’s heart to prove that he was healed. Suddenly I had two minds about this thing. And it made me unsteady (5) .
“I don’t know bout that watchman already being there . . I don’t know that it is already there “ I said to my stayin prayin sister.
” any thing is possible with God ” she replied.” we will just watch and pray”
People who really BELIEVE are “already there” , I thought. Like praying sisters, they are ” are already there.” They actually know bout things long before the rest of us folks do. They just watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Our brother Chris had told us to fast and pray for three days .He kept saying that we needed “to get in our closets”. So I fasted. But it was real hard to stay in a closet to pray . I find closests crowded with brooms and boxes .And , there’s no windows to see what Our Father is saying on the outside. On top of all those problems, there is always someone knocking on the door to tell you something different than what you are hearing. Closets always confused me .But I sure wanted to get rid of my unsteady mind and pray about Brother Roy and the watchman.
“I’m praying for brother Roy and Joanne” my stayin prayin sister said to me.
“So how do you pray?” I asked
“I pray everywhere all the time. I let the Holy Spirit lead. Its like a dance sister . I let him lead so I will agree “his will be done on earth as it is in heaven” she said.(6)
“you pray everywhere?” I asked not paying much attention to the rest of her words
“yes?!!” she said a little irritated that I had not listened to the rest of her sentence.
” Well I gotta go” I said impatiently. I hung up and hurried outside to pray. My new closet was gonna be big enough now to hold the promise I was going to believe ! My closet was gonna be wherever I could run!! .
I wanted to be like brave folks I know in Daddy’s house who pray all the time. I wanted to not just fast but also pray like my stayin prayin sister .
But, lots of things distracted me in my outdoor closet: trees and skies and flowers and bunnies and children and song birds.
I tried to pray but started thinking alot. I was thinking bout my brothers and sisters who pray in closets all the time. They pray mostly when no ones watching .Kinda funny how Our Father calls them ” watchmen”. I think maybe these” Watchmen” aren’t really being watched while they are praying . I think they are watching for what they are praying for. They are watching for it to come alive. They are watching a promise become a real thing.
That is why it is exciting it is to talk to a real watchman cause they have seen a lot in heaven come down to earth. They have really seen alot happen between the “glory “and the “amen.” And they can see ’cause they sit real close to Jesus in their small closets. Its just two of them on a date one saying “glory “and the other “amen “and the Holy Ghost being the matchmaker. They don’t have to wait for Sunday to hear sounds and see ballons.
Outside lots of things got between my saying “glory “and “amen.” First, my heart was troubled by many things. And then , I couldn’t stop thinking bout watchmen. Both kinds of watchmen.: the ones who pray and the one sitting on the shelf waiting to go into Brother Roy’s heart. ” It must be a little thing sitting on a shelf waiting to going to brother Roy’s heart.” I thought. And when I started thinking about how little the watchman for the heart was I started thinking again about watchmen who pray. I started thinking that they’re just little people that sit and wait on the shelf unseen by us. Praying and watching. Little folks looking for things to happen big between the glory and the amen.I thought much more than I ever prayed in my outside closet those three days.
On Wednesday , brother Roy went to the hospital to meet up with the doctor . He told him what needed to be done to keep his heart safe from the troublemaker. When he was signing all of his consents for the doctor , I was thinking about how we consent to God alot when we pray. I was thinking bout how we pray consenting for Our Father to “deliver us from evil”;just like asking Him to keep the troublemaker away.
Brother Chris came again to see brother Roy before he went with the doctor. Brother Chris said “we are going to pray” and brother Roy said ” glory” and it all stirred up heavens office again .Then it all wrapped up with another glory and a great amen And off with the doctor brother Roy went.
A couple hours went by till I could see brother Roy. When I got to him , Sister Joanne and sister Cindy were sitting next to bed. The sisters said that the doctor went in Brother Roy’s heart to look for the troublemaker, “the appendage” he called it. And the doctors said that when they went in the” trouble maker ” well . . .” it was gone!!!.”
“gone , like it never was part of his heart” Joanne said
“don’t know what happened. . maybe . . .this or that” the doctor explained many reasons why it may not be there” Cindy said.
“But Brother Chris told them “cause hes already got a watchman and His name is Jesus” “Joanne rejoiced.
I shook sleeping Roy “say glory Brother Roy, say glory” I shouted
“glory” Brother Roy weakly spoke and faintly smiled squinting his eyes.”Jesus”
That small breath of air, a puff of holy helium, breathed a great ballon in the air. Right in the hospital a balloon of glory lifted high the name “jesus”. Jesus , Jesus , Jeus is what what lives between the glory and amen. . I remembered the soft whispers of Jesus in the room the Sunday before Roy came to the hospital . I remembered Pastor saying Jesus. I remembered the prayin stayin sister saying Jesus. It was Him between the glory and amen.
Jesus, the watchmen of all watchmen . The watchman who prayed outside when I ran from the closet. And the watchman who prayed with Roy and Joanne in their closet. And the watchman who prayed with my stayin prayin sister every day. And the watchman who prayed in the closet of my heart when I thought I had no closet to go to. The watchman The great watchman intereeding for everyone about everything, at the right hand of Our Father. Enthroned between the glory and the amen He watches and prays. And more than that, sitting in the heart of trouble hearted children like me , he says “there is no trouble maker in your heart, the watchmen lives here” .
Suddenly I was able to say to brother Roy “amen”. “glory and amen” “glory and amen”
“we will say it very loud on Sunday Brother Roy. ..maybe we will have a party” I said, imagining a room full of ballons.
“yes” Brother Roy smiled and returned to rest.
I walked away resting too. Resting in the Lord of the Amen and the King of the Glory.
Notes:
Jeremiah 1:12 Then the Lord said to me ” you have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it” and 2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. that is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.
There are over 60 verses in Our Fathers word to us with Glory and Amen joined together. One of the oldest is from 1 Chronicles 16:35 -36 where David prayed “Save us O God of our salvation and gather and deliver us from among the nations , that we may give thanks to your holy name and GLORY in your praise from everlasting to everlasting.
Ephesians 3:19-20 Paul prays that we “may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpass knowledge that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly that all that we ASK OR THINK, (IMAGINE) according o the power at work within us.
James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of Jesus.
James 1:5-8 But let him ask in faith wit no doubting for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord: He is a double minded man unstable in all his ways
Staying Praying Sister: We do not manipulate Our Father. We are not begging Him we are agreeing with Him. We do not manipulate Our father we are the ones manipulated in prayer ,by our father . We are manipulated in love to agree with him
See to it sister that “you do not fail to obtain the grace of God: that no ‘root of bitterness’ spring up and cause you trouble . . . forgive as you have been forgiven by Christ so that you will not be outwitted by Satan. . . cause we ain’t ignorant of his designs” Hebrews 12:15 & 2 Corinthians 2:10,11
We plant forgiveness and we wait for love to bloom. I waited a year to see the fruit of forgiveness. Now , today ,almost to the date of my planting with Jesus , I hear a pleasant report. Therefore I repost this blog as a true testimony that when you forgive as He is forgiving you, you will surely see the blooms of the resurrection of Love in your midst!
The Big Sister’s call
Hurry , my sister it’s Spring , it’s Spring!!
Put that Stoney thing in the dirt
For We must run and sing!!
Get Shovel, Get Hoe
Lest that Bitter Thing grow!
Put that Stoney Thing in the dirt
Lest the Devil soon sow!!
The Little Sister’s cry
But Sister, Sister , it stings, it stings
So it never will ever feel like spring!
I’ve a wound so tender , like a boulder at my core!
No friend , no doc, no priest could speak to a thing so sore!
Or release this Stone that the Enemy threw to settle a score!
No Goliath with gall, or David with sling, or Samson so tall or Peter could bring
My heart to be healed from the hurt of this damn Stoney thing!!
The Big Sister’s call
But Sister, but Sister, it’s Spring!!
Now put that Stoney thing in the dirt!
So you can laugh and sing!
Get shovel, Get hoe
Lest that Bitter thing grow!
Put that Stoney thing in the dirt
Lest far away your heart go
The Little Sister’s cry
But Sister, Sister, it stings, it stings
And now there is no longer hope for my Spring
For I claim this wound as a part of my being
And I strive no more for hearing and seeing!
So many ask me “how have you been”
I just reply “I feel the effects of sin”
I carry the stone daily like a cross on my back
I sleep with it nightly tucking it in dreams and pillow sacks!
My soul never considers what it has but always talks of what it lacks.
The Big Sister’s Call
Oh Sister, dear Sister, it’s Spring
Put that stoney thing in the dirt
So you may dress in robe and ring!
Get shovel, get hoe
Lest that bitter thing grow
Put that Stoney thing in the dirt!
Perhaps to church you should go!
The Little Sister’s Cry
But Sister, Sister , in church it will stink!
I am dead like Lazarus with no life of my own to bring!
Might it stink when I bring it to others to be buried?
Besides, I have much to prove now and my time is quite harried!
It is best dear sis that I pretend it not there!
Besides, this stone on my heart is really no ones care.
Perhaps heaven will own it if I ever get there.
The Big Sister’s Plea
Oh Sister, Stubborn Sister, come out into Spring
Put that Stoney thing in the dirt
And Let Jesus do a Resurrection thing!
Get shovel, Get hoe
Lest that Bitter thing grow
Put that Stoney thing in the dirt
Let your Spirit yield and your Pride forgo!!
The Little Sister’s Fear
But Sister, my Sister, I will be all alone
As I rip away from my heart this UNFORGIVING STONE
And I cry out to Jesus “If only you were home!!?”
Oh Sister, your prayers cause me to quiver with this shovel and hoe in hand
You are speaking strange words in a tongue I do not understand
Oh sister , Oh Sister will I be all alone?
The Big Sister prophesies
Sweet sister, Sweet Sister, See He is your Spring!!
When you put that Stoney thing in the dirt , watch a LILLIE HE BRING
How free you will be and a new song you will sing
and then, . my Sister You WILL KNOW HE is SPRING!
The Little Sister Laments as Jesus Plants
Oh Sister , O Sister, Look now He weeps on my Heart!
The stone falls off gently , from tender edges it parts.
He lays it deep in the dirt of HIS EMPTY GRAVE!!
And grave side He calls me “child” no longer “slave”
Oh sister, O sister, why so long did I wait?
Holding tight to this hurt and bound to it’s hate?!!
I hurt Him so deeply with this stone on my heart!!
He had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire Him, He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. BUT he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and WITH HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED (ESV) Isaiah 53:2, 5
For God , who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST” ESV 2 Corinthians 4:6
“Aint nobody going to the park today . You might as well stay home.” the old brother said , looking down unto me while I was tying my shoes.
“I told you boy, there are always three folks there! ” I said as I looped the last lace. Then bouncing on both feet I held up four fingers “Daddy, Jesus, the Holy Ghost and me!”
“you mean one folk .” he said shaking his head and walking away .
“NO , NO , No! ” I said jumping up and down ” There are three in one!! Daddy , Jesus and the Holy Ghost !! ”
The old brother turned quickly . “Well, I’m just sayin. . . . if you go and you are all alone out there you might get hurt. . . .like Gerald said. . . maybe by one of them jitterbugs .” he warned.
I pounded my chest showing that my heart was not hurt anymore. There was no sting. I was healed of the jitterbug bite in the night. “See. . .. Lookie, ” I said ” I’m all dressed for the park” I stood before the brother touching my head, my chest my waist, my feet. I had the whole armor on for the first time in my life. Then , picking up Daddy’s book , I said ” And watch out I got a weapon !!” With my bible in my hand , I marched to the park.
Soon , while walking down the road, my mind started swirling with thoughts of the jitterbug, The Enemy. . . the enemy,. I thought about how much he hurt folks. How he hogtied them and dragged them through slop like sheep to be slaughtered . I thought bout how folks nowadays were cryin’ and dyin’, moanin’ and groanin’. How every brothers and sister I knew was either hit by the Enemy or was watching how The enemy hit others. Even our brother, Pastor Chris, would steady say that folks were all lookin either “busted or disgusted”. It was all you could see everywhere. All you could see was the bite and bruises on folks attacked by this faceless foe.
“There is so much damage Daddy” I cried running into another house on my way to the park .” Who will fix all this hurt Daddy” I fell to my knees and I looked up . As I looked up, I saw a picture. It was a picture someone had painted of Jesus’s face.
When I looked at the picture, I remembered what Daddy said about Jesus’s face. He said that It was so very different than any other face. He said it was marred and not majestic , a face so scary that we would want to hide our face from it” and yet. . . .” Daddy says that this face is the “radiance of His glory” He says real boldly to me,” though they spit on this face , This face , His face, would heal every person that looked at Him”
“Jesus show your face in the park today “, I prayed
Frog came very late. We had all been singing and reading Psalm 34 when frog came. Marilyn had already shared a picture of how Daddy works in the night to heal us from all them jitterbug bites. I was amazed how she could draw a picture to explain a poem from Daddy’s book. Everyone was telling how Daddy did wonderful things for us all while things looked bad all around. We were all singing and happy with all Daddy’s goodness
.
But Fog sat sad. He sat on a bench in the back. His head hung very low below his shoulders. I thought how his lungs were still hurt from the jitterbugs. I started crying for Frog to Daddy. Some other folks started crying too And when we were crying to Daddy , I became certain that Jesus was looking at Frog , I was so certain , I thought I saw a light shining right over Frogs’s bench.
As we sang, The Holy Ghost said ” Go touch Frog” . I asked some brothers and sisters to go with me, Marilyn, Ann, Barbara, Joseph, Mary and her friend , all came. As we touched Frog I asked Jesus to turn His face to us. Then, I put my hands on Frogs chest and immediately I felt a light come upon us. “Jesus looks now to heal you ” I said
I kept watching Frog’s face. I kept hearing brothers and sisters around him say “jesus” “jesus” “Jesus” Slowly Frog’s head lifted, , He looked up past the plywood ceiling , probably looked way past the clouds.Maybe he was seeing Jesus peek through the clouds or ride near us on the clouds. I just know his head tilted and lifted . . And then, . . . . like a Frog.. . . Like Frog croaking out of deep waters, he shouted “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!” Then , he stood with arms raised shouting “Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus” .
Suddenly, I said what I never thought to say. It was as if the Holy Ghost said it for me: ” we forgive them now, Frog, We forgive the jitterbugs !! The Devil just used them. They were but little darts in his hand. We forgive them, see we can forgive them . . .. Cause He has forgiven us!!!! We can forgive because He healed us today!!!” In that moment I forgot every hurt , every sorrow, every pain. FROG AND I WERE HEALED BY THE GLORY OF GOD THROUGH THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST!!
THE END. THE AMEN .
Post script: “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self , which is being renewed in KNOWLEDGE AFTER THE IMAGE OF THE CREATOR. . JESUS .here there is neither black or white, male or female, BUT CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL. SO, then as GOD”S CHOSEN ONES HOLY AND BELOVED, put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another FORGIVING EACH OTHER AS THE LORD HAS FORGIVEN YOU > ABOVE ALL THESE , PUT ON LOVE WHICH BINDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY. Collossians 3
Dedicated to” Doodle” , a child of God who prays the Word. . And Dedicated to Pastor Chris who taught “ if we do not pray the Word of God we do not release the Power of God.”
“Doodle-bug, Doodle-bug tell me what I want to know” Mark Twain The adventures of Tom Sawyer 1876
Daddy don’t doodle! He doesn’t doodle with the words of His mouth or the works of His hands. I saw how he drew the 200 billion stars and the moon of one galaxy with His fingers. He is both perfect and precise. But, sometimes , as His child , I forget what He wants me to do with my words. Sometimes I forget He is ruler and Lord over the works of His hands , even my mouth . (psalm 8) And I, like a doodle bug spin and swirl in the dust from which I was made .
Long time ago, our Daddy gave “Rita Skeeter”http://wp.me/p3KvVr-a3 a big sister named Virginia. Nobody calls her ‘virginia” cause she was nick- named “doodle bug” by her mama. One day her mama saw her baby crawling backwards and it reminded her of doodle bugs she had seen crawling in the dirt.
As for me,I did not know much bout Doodle bugs until I met MIss Doodle. Since then, I learned a whole lot about doodle bugs and doodling. Doodle also knows alot about these critters . Funny how, when you are named something, you are the expert on that thing.
Doodle bugs are a certain type of nerve-winged insect. Though they have wings, they don’t fly much. Mainly, they stay on the ground walking backwards. With their wings they leave scribbled cursive trails in the sand.
When some kids saw these critters spinning and swirling, they said the bugs were “doodling” . That day they nick named the bugs “doodle bugs” . Daddy’s creatures are best described by what they do. But, scientists like big names for critters and so they called them “myrmeleontidae”. But even the scientists later nick named them “antlions”.
Big names are something fun for kids who like big words. Not everybody likes big words. I only like big words that describe Daddy cause He is sooo big . But Daddy even uses little words to describe Himself.
Daddy knows He is big but really doesn’t want anybody stumbling and stuttering over His name. I saw this one day when He was talking to Moses. That old man was stuttering over what to call Daddy . Moses said “what do you want everybody to call you?” Daddy stared him down to the ground and said ‘boy “Just call me I AM”. (1)
Sure enough, when the old man Moses started saying Daddy’s words about Himself, a whole lot of things started happening. A serpent became a staff, plagues came and were lifted, seas parted, people were set free, kingdoms crumbled, and all the people saw great things Daddy was doing. All with just a few words. Words that were Daddy’s words. So the day when old man Moses wrote Daddy’s rules on a rock, he didn’t mess around. He got straight to “Holy” in 10 sentences.
Doodle doesn’t mess around much anymore with Daddy’s words either. Rita Skeeter says “she aint going backwards” no more. If Doodle even thinks of spinning round, her sister Rita Skeeter helps her remember to go forward. And Doodle likes going forward. Doodle likes forward so much that one day she was going forward and fell. When she fell the enemy hurt her. He had her hurt so bad that she was lying in the hospital bed when I found her.
I found her stuck in a hospital bed with her feet up. She sure enough looked like sprayed bug turned on its back , wiggling its legs in the air. One leg was all wrapped hard in plaster. Like a bright white cacoon, it looked like it was bout to birth a butterfly. Looking at her squirming on her back in the bed made me wanna call Daddy and ask Him to fix her, flip her over, and let that catepillar cast bust wide open. Really I just wanted Him to fix the mess I saw.
I know Daddy tells us all the time to go to Him and ask Him to fix things . He calls this” prayer”. I think it gets a special word cause this is an asking with a guarantee. We aren’t guaranteed answers from asking other folks for stuff. Not even doctors and scientists. But prayer, asking Daddy, that’s a guarantee for an answer!! I know for sure cause my brother Jesus told me.
But when I saw Doodle, like a sprayed roach, stuck in the bed, I wanted other folks to help. It was strange how I knew bout Daddy giving everything and yet wanted to bring a bunch of other folks into the delivery of the promise.
“Doodle Im gonna pray for you” I said ready to run to Daddy and ask Him to flip her over and let her run.
She nodded expectantly and took my hand.
“Oh Daddy ” I began ” I’m lifting up my sister Doodle to you to get healed. . .” I raised our hands in the air . ” . so by your hand, help folks get her ready for surgery. . . .”. I continued with many words asking that Daddy, the Lord of all creation, would use the hand of the doc and precisely set her bone. And that the operating room be just right and that all the germs scatter. . . .and the nurses be kind .” Many words seemed to scribble in the air as I invited all kinds of people and events to work together in the operation on Doodles leg.
I kept drawing a picture with my words of how things might look if everything worked out in my mind. Though I was praying with many words, in a secret place deep in me, I felt I was walking backwards . I was saying things about what I thought could happen instead of what Daddy had already done. I didn’t know how to stop . It seemed as if so much had to be done to get Doodle back on the ground moving forward.
Suddenly, Doodle seemed far a way and not settled . I prayed longer saying the same kind of things about doctors and rooms and germs and bones over and over. The restlessness remained. So I prayed more. . . . for right medicines, and temperatures and food.
Doodle squirmed and cleared her throat. I ignored her impatience by praying that she would
“rest”. I wanted to pray more till it was all well. The more I spoke the more It felt as if nothing was spoken. The air swirled with stale air.
Suddenly, I heard Doodle say “AMEN” as if to end this unending prayer . Doodle repeated her “Amen” It became louder and impatient.
“Amen”
It was not a “so be it” Amen ” but a but a “good bye” amen.
It rudely repeated until I surrendered and said “Amen”
I dropped my hand from Doodle’s hand. looked at Doodle. She stared at me. “well youre real sweet praying for me” she said as she continued to stare at me without a smile.
” But tell me ” she paused ” Tell me this. . . why didnt you just ask Jesus to heal my leg now?” .(2)
Suddenly Doodle looked so different. Suddenly Doodle didn’t look like the friendly aimless bug she was named. She looked purposeful and certain. She looked like she had a thing Daddy calls “faith”.
She also looked like what the scientists nick named “Ant lions” . Bugs that are purposeful in their design as they consume their prey. They do not carelessly stroke the sand but, rather ,take their enemy down into burrowed holes to destroy them. Watch these bugs in their purpose. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v+CWKFAyfBDHE
I looked at Doodle and saw the “antlion” . I looked at her with my eyes and ran to Daddy with my heart. “What do you want me to do? I dont know how to pray as I should for this sister? ” (3) I said silently to Daddy.
“He can heal that leg right now , you know” Doodle sternly looked to her cast and then to me.
My eyes moved to the cacoon on her leg. Suddenly, it looked like a tomb. It looked like a tomb awaiting a call. . . awaiting . . .
I put both of my hands on the cast “yes, Doodle, Yes and AMEN.” I said waiting . Waiting for Daddy’s helper.
Slowly words came. ” BY HIS STRIPES. . by HIS STRIPES . . By Jesus’ wounds and Stripes HE Says you are presently Healed Doodle ! . You are presently Healed in the name and by the power of Jesus. This we thank you for Daddy ! AMEM!!!” (4)
“AMEN, AMEN , AMEN ” Doodle said with joy .
I looked at Doodle joyful, restful and settled.
“So be it ! It is finished!!” I said bringing my hand from the cast to her hand.
” Amen , amen sweet sister, you can stop praying now. daddy has heard you”. Doodle smiled.
Based on 2 Timothy Chapter 3
Understand this that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. . . .some will have the appearance of God but deny its power. Avoid being as such!!. . . continue in what you have learned and firmly believe. . . for All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training IN RIGHTEOUSNESS that the person of God may be complete equipped for EVERY GOOD WORK IN JESUS.
Doodling prayers talk lightly about what is known about God and make requests based on earthly natural ways . They spin uncertainty and powerless circles in the air. Faith Full prayers take what is known about God In His WORD and reach upward to the heavens pulling down the Supernatural work of God. They strike the enemies of God and put everything contrary to God’s will beneath the dirt. These prayers strike with the foot of Jesus.
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. http://bible.com/1/exo.3.14.kj
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son . http://bible.com/1/jhn.14.13.kjv
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered http://bible.com/1/rom.8.26.kjv
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.http://bible.com/1/1pe.2.24.kjv
A child of God chosen to display Daddy’s glory, one breath at a time.
As long as my breath is in me and the Spirit of God is in my ..
.nostrils..
my lips will not speak falsehood and my tongue will not utter deceit. For I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let go!”( Job 27 :3, 4, 6a)
I didn’t know Ernie was carrying a set of miracles deep behind his ribs until one day in October. Before that day, I just knew a man whose name was “Ernie”. A man who sat at the round table in the back of the church. That’s how it is in Daddy’s house sometimes. We say “oh I know so and so. . . ” And we toss a person’s name in the air like a balloon. But, if we told the naked truth, we would say that we REALLY don’t know them at all. As a “doorkeeper” in Daddy’s house , I get a little sad when I barely know some folks names . But, I get really excited when I remember that there is one in the house, who really, truly, knows them.
Jesus knows them. He looks on each one of those folks every Sunday. He looks past all the dirt and the ribs , straight past the lungs and heart, to a very deep place. He looks to a place where no doctor or scientist or researcher could go. . . the soul.(1)
Kinda funny to think like that . To think that there are places where no eye sees or tongue tells . Places where no picture has been taken. Kinda funny to think how Jesus knows Ernie so well. He knew every cell, seen and unseen, in Ernie long before He introduced the lump sum to me. He had been sitting near Ernie alot of days before He introduced Ernie to me and. . . me to Ernie.
Jesus handpicked the day He was to introduce Ernie and me. (2) That day was a day in October. That day, I had just left my assignment as “doorkeeper” and I was working at the hospital. And, It was in the hospital that Ernie was brought in for “shortness of breath”.
“Shortness of breath” is a phrase that hospital folks use for breathing that does not sound or look like the original design by Daddy. It sounds more rapid and loud and unnatural than we think it should sound . This is mostly during times when the air is going through the mouth and not the nose. These folks lie in stretchers like little birds in nests with their neck reaching up and their mouths wide open. They look like birds hungry for nothing but the air around them.
I could hear the sound of Ernie’s air as I turned the corner to room 42 in the emergency Room. The sound stopped me. I stood by the door and asked Jesus to introduce me to Ernie. I was afraid that Ernie would not know me and he might be too hungry for air to be bothered by me.
But Ernie was not bothered. And Ernie did not look like the other folks in the hospital . He did not look at all like anybody that I had touched that day. He did not even look like he needed a physician though he sounded like it. Ernie had a vibrant face . And ,most of all , he had a face that talked without using words. It said paragraphs in milliseconds. It was bright , kinda pink, with a leprechaun like smile. Sitting upright in the stretcher , I saw Ernie as a delightful design of Daddy. I saw what Jesus saw for the first time . (3)
Ernie’s eyes spoke boldly “I believe our Daddy wants me out of this place’ . His eyes seemed to sparkle with the proclamation.
An instant agreement came upon me, I said “Ernie , Jesus wants you out of here. This is not the door I should be greeting you through unless its back out. . . eh brother?”
Ernie winked. I considered his wink to be an “AMEN”. Amen means “so be it” or “let it be”. And It does not really have to be spoken. An Amen is agreement with Jesus bout all that Daddy gives.(3)
Folks at church talk alot about agreement. i don’t know much about all of what they mean when they talk. Sometimes these folks start talking in another language that only Daddy knows. .But, I now know one thing for certain, since Jesus introduced me to Ernie. I know that when children agree about what Daddy says all kinds of things happen. When children agree with Daddy, miracles are in the air. Moving in very unlikely patterns.
” ill be back to check on y’all after I am off duty” I said to Ernie and his wife Brenda. I left a room that was so full of Jesus I felt unworthy to return .
I felt unworthy because, truth be told , about four hours before I met Ernie, I had been whining and complaining to Daddy about His other children. I was tattle- tailing on them , telling how they were relying on another brother to give them what only Daddy gives. I even called that very brother on the phone and said” these folks are asking you to do what only Daddy can do for them and I think it is all wrong”
This good brother said to me ” what are you gonna do , sister, tuck your tail and run again”. That made me more mad and I hung up the phone.
I then cried and cried and told Daddy that I didn’t think my church was giving Daddy the glory He was due. And “if they ain’t doing that then they ain’t no church!!! They are just a ‘club house in a tree’ and nobody can get in and nobody on the inside can see out !!” I said.
After all the hot air from my phone call and prayer settled as dew on my dashboard, I stomped on into work. “Im just going on to work ” were my last words to Daddy. I kinda felt like Peter who decided to go fishing because it all wasn’t making much sense anymore.(5)
When I returned to Ernie’s room, I stood at the door and remembered my start of the day and still felt unworthy to enter. I stood motionless behind the open door asking Daddy if it was okay to go in. I was distracted by the sound of Ernie’s breathing. It wheezed and coughed and gasped..Suddenly, I saw Daddy’s intended design, I saw how the mouth is set for praise and the nose is set for air. Suddenly Daddy showed me, As unnatural as is Ernie’s breathing so unnatural was my speaking earlier in the day!! Ernie should breathe air through His nose, And I should praise through my mouth. God we need a Physician!!.
“There she is Ernie” Ernie’s wife peered around the door. “We are right here. Did you forget where you were going” she chuckled
I entered into the room. Ernie was getting a “breathing treatment”. This is where a medicine is mixed with the air so when one inhales it opens the lungs so they can get the oxygen needed. So Ernie’s wife, Brenda, talked. Brenda talked vibrantly, like Ernie but not as much with her eyes as with her whole being. From face to fingertips , she spoke more in motion than with words . It was as if every word she chose was moving. Like breezes of grace , a gentle enthusiastic grace.
So, when I timidly said “can we pray together?” she seemed to swoop softly across the stretcher to take my hand in expectant agreement.
I looked at Ernie. I looked at Brenda. I looked at our hands. Suddenly the air halted. I could hear each of us breathing. My own breath irregular ” Daddy I need a breathing treatment Jesus just say the word and your servant will be healed” my soul prayed quietly (6) . And I waited.
Suddenly, I saw Jesus looking upon Ernie with compassion ready to touch and heal. I saw Him delighting over Brenda. I saw Him ready to heal my lips. I prayed. Then Brenda prayed. The breeze, a the very warm summer breeze blew . Ernie could breathe a little easier. The room was very warm. The faces very moist.
Then , in natural timing, like a chorus of a song, Ernie’s “Amen” was spoken. It came out of his mouth as air went in his nose. It repeated itself , Layers of “amen” one upon another until Brenda and I shouted with Ernie “Amen!! Amen”. All of us moving now like children saying “yippie Daddy we have recieved”.
When our hands released, Ernie began breathing slowly and softly through his nose. Suddenly Ernie said his first sentence to me “This is the church!”. He spoke.
“Yep. Honey the Holy spirit was definitely here.” Brenda cheered. She did not know Ernie’s words were riding on the wind of the Spirit. Riding on the wind of the Spirit to restore my broken soul.
“This IS the Church”
A sweet silence again halted everything in the room. you could hear breath. Breathing Rhythmic and natural . Mouths declaring praise. I suddenly knew that I could not run from this church , This church. . . .it would chase me down.
“Yep,”. I winked.
And the spirit and the Bride said “Amen”(7)
John 2:24-25But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man.
Acts 17:26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation.
2 Corinthians 5:14,16for the love of Christ controls us , because we have concluded this that one has died for all , therefore all have died. . so , From now on , therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.
2 Corinthians 1:20For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us
John 21:3Simon Peter said to them , “I am going fishing,” They said to him, “we will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Luke 7:1-10. Jesus healing the Centurions’s servant ” And Jesus went with them. when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore FI did not presume to come to you But say the word and let my servant be healed. “
Revelation 22:17The spirit and the bride say, “come.” Let anyone who hears this say “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life”.
Let EVERYTHING that has breath praise the Lord!! Praise the Lord!! (Psalm150:6)
I saw that when Ernie could breathe well , he would utter an “Amen” into the air . These interruptions of praise seemed to take flight to heaven where angels would sweep them upward with their wings to the lap of Daddy.
But , on earth everything was seen differently. Ernie was admitted into the hospital for further tests. He was not looking like he could breath easy and folks were saying he might have pneumonia, bronchitis, or very bad COPD . They would pick a title to match what they saw. Some of them would agree on a word and they would write it in Ernie’s chart. The chart tells the story of how things look down here.
Daddy was sad when my eyes agreed with what they wrote. (1) He knew I would become afraid. Ernie was on oxygen and there was a number next to his bed that kept going down. When the number was down it showed Ernie was not getting the oxygen he needed. So, whenever Ernie moved in the slightest bit, the number would drop and Ernie would look pale. When I saw this I would get a little scared . When we are scared we start forgetting lots of things. We forget things we are supposed to remember forever. We forget that Daddy made every thing. We forget that Daddy made the respiratory system for his glory.(2)
I was so scared that I called another brother . I called a brother who knew Ernie and who wouldn’t let the things he would see scare him. “Can you come see Ernie. It just looks terrible!!” I said to the brother.
Ernie was glad that this brother was coming. And he didn’t want to be afraid with me. So while I waited , I worked. And while I worked I thought of Ernie’s airway and Ernie’s Amens.
“Amens” come from an ever so slight cul-de-sac in the “wind pipe” of the respiratory system called the trachea. At the uppermost part of the trachea sits the larynx , “voice box” . In the larynx are vocal chords which vibrate when air passes . When air passes they make noise. They were created to live expectantly to make “joyful” noises and reluctantly to make clamorous noises. Both can be made but one is most desired by Daddy.(3)
From the larynx, the trachea descends to its dividing road where it will open into the lungs. The trachea has a very beautiful congregation of workers that live along every millimeter of the path from nose to lung. They are are called the cilla. When I first saw a picture of the cilla, I took great delight in them. They are very beautiful , purposeful and free.
.
The Cillia are a congregation of many hands that sweep fluids and foreign particles out of the airway so that only the breath of God’s air can move freely. They protect the flow from atmosphere to aveoli. When folks get “respiratory” illness, the cillia are no longer free. They get stiff and sticky and are no longer swaying and sifting . They are no longer conduits of the breath of air .
I was thinking how Ernie’s cillia might be stiff and sticky . I was thinking about what might be wrong when I got the message that the brave brother had arrived to see Ernie. I hurried to Ernie’s room. I was ready to pray with someone that was not fearful and would call on Daddy boldly. But the brother did not pray. He did not ask Daddy for anything. He listened to brother Ernie and then he said “Well lets praise Daddy!”.
But “what about asking Him to fix things now”, I thought.
“We praise you Daddy!! We praise you Father!! For you have created All things!! All things are yours!!” He shouted as he walked from one end of the bed to another. Ernie sat . I stood.
The brother repeated “All things are yours. You own all things. You command and the winds obey. all things. All things are yours” Slowly Ernie rocked back and forth. Vague “amens” escaped . I felt my body sway. Then I heard the brother say. .
“You are worthy! You are worthy! Let everything worship you!! Everything!!”
“The cillia worship. The cillia worship. ” my soul considered. How David considered the ant, I considered Ernie’s cillia. (4) I rested my hands on Ernies chest. Might they hear the praise and rejoice in their sweeping and sifting and protecting.
Suddenly the brave brother stopped. “Ernie what are you wanting from God right now”
“New lungs” Ernie declared
“Daddy we are asking you for new lungs. New lungs Daddy for my brother Ernie”. The brave brother said.
The entire room became brave. No longer did fear dwell with me. No longer did fear set Ernie’s face pale. He was pink yet again.
I looked at the oxygen reading. It was high. Air was entering Ernies’ lungs freely. Certainly the cilla were back to declaring praise with every sway of their being. How much more Ernie’s whole being. And the sister beside him.(5)
To be continued. . .
Psalm 77:19 says that the Lord is working through great waters but His “foot prints” are “unseen” and 2 Corinthians 4:18 encourages us to look at the things unseen for they are eternal.
From Revelation 4:11 In the end EVERY LIVING THING WILL DECALRE “Worthy are you , our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created”
James 4:10 “With the same mouth come both blessing and cursing . My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
Proverbs 6:6 “Go to the ant O sluggard: consider her ways and be wise.”
:But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters , be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
Ernie was to get “new lungs” because he asked Daddy. The brave brother and Brenda kept saying “He’s got those lungs”! They said this because they knew Jesus died so Ernie could have new lungs. It was all in the gift package from Daddy called “Salvation”. (1)
But while Brenda and the brave brother thanked God for the “already new lungs”, the hospital folks told Ernie that he would be on a list to get new lungs in the future. He was to get them from another person who would die. They called it a “lung transplant”. Both Ernie and I knew that Jesus died to give him new lungs.(2) And we really didn’t want anybody else to die when we knew His death was enough.
But, while the brave brother and Brenda were expecting new lungs from the inside , Ernie and I were excited no matter how Daddy was going to deliver those lungs. Whether from the inside or from outside. Either way Ernie and I both liked to believe it was “already done”.
So, when Ernie came back to Daddy’s house “waiting” for his new lungs. He said that he was on a transplant list and he sat at the back table of the church again. He sat with other very brave brothers and sisters who began to speak to him about his new lungs. They would say that Jesus was going to give him a set of lungs very soon. And, they acted like no one else was going to have to die for Ernie to get them. They acted like Jesus’s dying was sufficient. Ernie caught a breath of the air spoken by the brave ones. And when he did , he started talking a little braver himself. I just watched Ernie get braver and braver and his hands raise higher and higher as he thanked Daddy . Sometimes he looked like the most excited fan in a stadium.
I would watch him and then I would also cheer for Daddy thinking alot about what the victory would look like for Ernie. I would think lots about Ernie’s new lungs. As air moves through the trachea it meets a “fork in the road’ where the trachae branches to the right and to the left. Air moves through these tubes which get progessively smaller. These dividing pipelines are called “Bronchi”. The smaller tubes into which the bronchi branch are called the “bronchioles” and they end in tiny air sacs called the “aveoli”. Here in the “aveoli” , a miraculous exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. each lung houses about 300-400 million alveoli. “There are alot of alveoli” I thought” and alot of exchanging of gases in their presence”
Worshipping and pondering , I saw that there is alot of God’s grace and alot of exchanging of His holiness for our sin in His presence. How great His exchange ! Like aveoli on the bronchiole , our abiding in Christ makes us pure by His exchanging our sin for His righteousness. (3) The whole house seemed to fill with the freshest of air that Sunday.
Most every Sunday Ernie was at church bringing us an Amen or a raised hand. until one day In January. It was a very bitter cold day in January when Ernie was not at church. The sun was bright but the harsh wind was like a vengeful thief, it stole the warmth from every beam of light. As i left my post at the door to go to work I saw Brenda’s text “Moving Ernie to ICU, getting worse on his breathing”.
I became afraid. I remembered that Daddy has an enemy. And I knew that this enemy doesn’t like the “already new lungs”. The chill seemed to follow me down the street like a stalking lion. Even when I began to run fast into the hospital , I could feel it breathing down my neck.
When I got to to Ernie , he was breathing like a linebacker on a sprint . His face, once pink was now as a stone . Blood streaked through spit. There was no time between breaths for a word. There was only a wrestling. “Call the repiratory therapist. Has he had a breathing treatment? how fast are we moving him? He needs a CT scan first!Hurry we gotta pray!” Was it all only a wrestling of tubes and wires and face masks orders and prayerful hands? Or was there something else wrestling. . . something like principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in the places where that cold prince of the air lives? Has he come to block the great exchange of air? I was afraid. I remembered again that Daddy has an enemy and it frightened me more.(4)
I had just finished asking Daddy yet again for a request he had already heard. Like a whinning child I said “Daddy pleeeeeeeassse heal ernie”when suddenly I heard Brenda command:
“Jesus, you sic em. Jesus you sic em. And devil you leave my honey alone in Jesus name”.
I said to Brenda “what did you say?” She said it again. She looked so brave when she said it. She looked fighting brave like a coach calling a 3rd in 10 play. When I looked at her, I thought of something the brave brother told me a few weeks before. I remembered him telling me that Daddy had already given Ernie lungs but the devil will do whatever it takes to make it look like it has not happened. He will do anything it takes for us to fear. And when we fear we dont’ believe.
Suddenly, I was mad. I was mad that the enemy thought I was dumb to his tactics (5). Brenda’s command sounded like a battle cry. I was ready to fight. In Jesus, we were gonna fight that damned angel!!!
I walked the hall to Ernies ICU room hearing sportscasters predict plays for a big football game to be played that night. While the TVs in every room of the hospital spoke of an upcoming battle between two colleges for the national championship somethiing in the air seemed to whisper yet louder. Heavenly beings were speaking battle plays for Ernies victory.
When we got to Ernies new room the hospital folks spoke of putting Ernie on a “breathing machine”. I did not get afraid but got very mad and called the brave brother. “Brave brother!! I want Jesus to kick Satan’s ass and show off His glory!! Can you come see Ernie soon !” I screamed. Daddy cringed at the sound of His daughter. I could not find a sanctified word . I didn’t really believe that Satan deserved any sanctified word . “Cleanse my mouth Daddy and hear my heart ” I cried. I wiped off the tears and went back to Ernies room.
Few folks in the hospital are dressed . Most look real naked except for a thin gown. Some dont’ look so naked in these gowns cause they got long underwear from Jesus. Like these folks, Ernie always wears his undergarments. These are the undergarments that cover every naked inch of our being with eternity and righteousness. But when folks , like football players, go to fight for victory they put on extra gear. The brave brother came back to the hospital to remind Ernie that he had a suitcase of gear to put on for this battle. He helped him get dressed one item at a time. .. helment, shield , belt over his undergarments and a sword for his right hand. You could almost hear Daddy say : “Dressed ,Ready. Therefore Stand.”(6)
By afternoon, I brought every person I knew with Jesus in them to come to the room. I knew they carried the Mighty Warrior. They were dressed just like Ernie. And this was a battle. Hands and Hymns and Hallaleujah bathed Ernie’s bed. A respiratory therapist let Jesus sing through her lungs into Ernies “Jesus Walk with me” and Ernie,beaming through the large mask pressing on his face, leaked an ” Amen!!!. “Surely, marching around territory like Joshua and singing like Jehoshaphat’s choir was enough to send that cat running. Ernie was not on the big breathing machine called the ventilator but he was on a smaller one called bipap. The enemy could not accomplish all his threats. He was indeed weakening. I returned to work expectant that the total healing would come soon. I told Brenda to go home and get rest. While Ernie lay in bed waiting for his new lungs, the enemy roused new players.
The play remained the same. The play “Did God really say. . . “ (7). Did God really say you will get new lungs Ernie? came to Ernie’s bed while we were away. Folks explained to Ernie that it was time to die soon. And the enemy whispered “did God really say you would live”. Folks explained to Ernie that he would not get off oxygen and his “quality” of life would be poor. And the enemy whispered “Did God really say you would have full life every day anyway”. Folks explained that Ernie could quit this fight anytime. And the enemy whispered “Did God really say to fight? Aren’t you tired of fighting” One after another, unknowing vessels of the viper came in and counseled Ernie while he was alone. Firey darts pinging against Ernies shield of faith. Until Brenda came back to the room.
Rested and roused for battle , Brenda called ” Sister !! This is crazy!!They want Ernie on Hospice. Over my dead body!!!” she said.
Even folks that do not believe in the power of words cringe at the word ” Hospice.” And Satan . like a cheshire cat, smiles at the power of the word “Hospice. ” He smiles because he scores points with anything that brings fear.
The three of us stared at one another in the room as Brenda said the word again. When spoken out of it’s time it sends a chilling wind like the one that first chased me into the hospital.
“Damn its just a word” The Bold Brenda stomped her feet together.
“Its a damned word” I said suddenly feeling brave with Brenda. “He is THE WORD” He is the word made flesh dwelt among us and now dwells in us. ”
Our hands fell on Ernies chest. Simple small prayer from two daughters of a king set loose in the air a counterplay.
“In Jesus name Ernie is healed. And you Satan , out of here in Jesus name.”
There was no trembling or tears or trumpet or tamborine to follow. Only “Amen”. For if the name “Hospice” has power , how much more “Jesus”(8)
The nurse entered the room . “Did you know who won the game ? Yep ,FSU, and what a game it was. . . . no one could believe FSU could win. “Then, just as routine as a football score , she said ” Looks like you are going home with “hospice” tomorrow. but we have to get bipap for you so it might be longer. But if you are here tomorrow you might get to see the championship trophy they are going to place in the lobby. We’ll see what happens” The nurse left the room.
The next afternoon, I received a text from Brenda” Hurry sis you got to see my baby!! AND we are going home” I ran to the room. Ernie was dressed: pants, t-shirt, shoes and a face beaming and free of all devices.
“im just waiting for transport to take me to the parking garage” Ernie announced
“no oxygen”
“Nope”
“Well brother, Let me have the honor to escort you out of here.” I ran and got a wheelchair weeping and dancing and longing for tamborine and trumpet. I ran past nurses on their way back from the lobby seeing the victory trophy for FSU.
“Victory!!. Victory!!!” I shouted back .
“go FSU” they said
“Go Jesus” I said.
Ernie skipped into the wheelchair. He had to ride in a wheelchair not because of need but because the hospital required his discharge in this manner.
As I grasped the handles I felt that I was carrying the most valuable trophy in the hospital and all of heaven. I wheeled Ernie past the display of the glass foot ball . ” thanks be to God. . “ we said to one another as we parted. I drove the empty wheelchair back through the hospital. praying” Yes thanks be to you Daddy who in Jesus always leads your kids in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrant wind of the knowledge of you everywhere. For we are the very air of Jesus to you Daddy. . .(9)
I slowed down. “I am not sufficient to hold these things. . . “I sat down in the wheelchair in the lobby and wept and wept. I recalled every beautiful scene, I could not contain the joy of seeing this miracle.
A security man came to me “ you alright? Just looking at that trophy eh. . . that was some game wasn’t it ? Just never know whose gonna win in a game like that “
“no, sir, you don’t. But I was just sitting here thinking how I forget who has already won every game ”
“What are you talking about?” he said.
“Jesus and His Victory in all things” I stammered.
“well, I know that !” he said with confidence.” I was just talking bout life stuff not religion”
“ Me too. That’s what I’m talking about sir” I said as I got out of the chair.
THE END . . . .>OF SATANPost ScriptDaddy has waited until this day to let me finish the story. He had much to show me about Himself since January. The story has not changed but Daddy wanted it to be told rightly. And Daddy wanted time to be the evidence of His work. For now, four months have passed. And ,as of today , as I post this story , I know Ernie is well. The set of lungs inside of him are from Daddy. Daddy made them and Daddy lets me see them work as I see Ernie worship Him every Sunday.
Greek word for”Salvation or saved” is “Sozo” used many times in New Testament. It’s meaning includes ” to save, to rescue, to deliver, to protect, to heal, to preserve, to do well, and to be made whole. The most commonly quoted scripture referring to “Sozo” carries a vast promise to Daddy’s Children. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9
5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new cration. The old has passed away, behold the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of God. THE GREAT EXCHANGE!!
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Paul speaks of “not being outwitted or ‘ caught unaware’ by Satan’ saying “we are not ignorant of his designs” 2 Corinthians 2 11. Also Peter encourages us to “be alert , sober minded & watchful” to the schemes of the devil. 1 Peter 5:8
“Know Ephesians 6:1-18 and wear it” “Be both a Child and a Warrior in the kingdom” Pastor Chris Peterson. Order messages preached March 2014 DVDhttps://m.facebook.com/RenewedLifeOutreachCenter
Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden” the serpent said to the woman in Genesis 3:1.
“God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. ” Philipipans 2:9-10
We remember how you put palms in our hands,
His lips are like concrete cracked beneath a florescent sun
He had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire Him, He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. BUT he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and WITH HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED (ESV) Isaiah 53:2, 5
