God Gave Me the Holy Spirit

I wrote a year ago and I wanted to share it with you on this blog: I am thankful for a lot of things in this day especially after spending a wonderful evening with the Lord last night. You know how we have often times wanted to be given a sign from God? Well, once upon a time several years ago God gave me a Dove. I have had birds before and I wasn't really wanting another. But at work one was sitting across the yard on the tail gate of our pickup. Hudg picked it up and put it in the bed of the truck and drove across the yard and into the shop. He told me to come see it. It let us pet it and feed it out of our hands and later it flew up to the top of the shop where we assumed it would stay until it flew out.

The next day before quitting time Hudg said that I needed to come see my bird, it was still there and now sitting on the hose reel. Again it let us touch it and feed it. Well, that was it. I felt it was just too tame and friendly that I couldn't let it be so vulnerable to something that might kill it and here came Hudg walking up with a box and I placed it in the back seat and brought her home.

I ordered a big cage online and the Dove flew around the house a little bit landing on our fireplace mantel where she sat. My son comes home and I said "Hey did you see my bird?" He looks over and sees her and says, "Mom God gave you the Holy Spirit." I didn't think of that until he said it, but thinking of just how ironic she came into my life and what he had said made me feel really blessed to have her.

Last fall I arrived home from a trip from seeing my parents. Some of you know my Dad has dementia and each time there has been a decline and my heart feels troubled. Each time I come home with mix of emotions. This time I find my Dove sitting on the bottom of the cage with her eyes mostly shut and she was still as if she was dying. I quickly took her and placed her on my chest and I held her close for the evening, talking to her and letting her hear my heart beat and my voice telling her how much I loved her. I had even asked the boys to bring me a box because there were a few times that evening I felt she had died. But within time I got a bit of movement out of her until she came out of whatever it was attacking her. She's not really ever liked to be held but she loves me to lightly touch her and speak to her and she talks back to me. But this night holding her close to me saved her life.

The next trip I came home from I was under a spiritual attack. I had some very troubling nightmares. In the days that lay ahead it began to cripple my health for a few weeks. I had doctor appointments and went to the ER. All tests revealed I was in great shape. But I didn't feel it. I finally just spent time in our "War Room" which used to be our Formal Living room. I got to the root of those spirits attacking me and they fled and from that day forward I felt well and free.

Last night my husband and I spent the evening in our War Room as we turned on our soaking worship music and waited upon the Lord, praying for everyone and everything we felt called to pray for. We praised and worshiped God. We had opened our Dove's cage as well and let her get on top of it. She never flies around much, for we clipped her wings so she can't fly into things and get hurt. But she doesn't really fly around. She just walks.

It was a beautiful time with our Lord and I felt such peace come over me. As I was talking to the Lord I was telling Him how much I want to feel His presence with me. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord who was with us and I emotionally said "You are here, You are here, and as tears stream down my face my Dove flew from the top of her cage over to the sofa to land right in the center of my lap with her wings remaining open as if to say this is a beautiful sign that the Lord is definitely near and present.

The Almighty is definitely listening and He is here and He is at work in all of this mess. He knew about all of this before we did. He cares and He is drawing us closer to Him and He wants to hear from each one of us. The more we talk to Him the more He can do for us. Its time for each and everyone of us to get on our knees and fight the good fight in faith and prayer.

Today I tuned out all the news and oil prices I just focused on listening to God's Word, His promises and His songs. I feel privileged to get to go to work and feel some normalcy. But no matter what we have keep reminding ourselves that God is in control and He has a plan. You can count on that and He will see us through.