“Why would I want to go to church? You Christians are like boring robots,” said my twenty something friend. Due to a romantic relationship gone wrong she phoned for support. My immediate hurt and resentful thought I didn’t say, “Then why are you calling me?”
I got to know Shuana during a 6-hour flight delay. She had just moved out of state to start a new career with no close relationships in the big city of Miami. We both sensed a relational bonding as we got to know one another. Because the flight was late, she missed the commuter train from the airport to her neighborhood. My husband came to meet us around midnight and kindly trusted me when I asked, “Could we take Shuana home?” We dropped Shuana safely in front of her rented room in a ghetto looking neighborhood.
We texted back and forth a few times the following week. She mentioned her dwelling was being tented for termites and she would have to find a place to stay. After consulting my husband, we invited this almost a stranger to spend those few days in our home. She expressed surprised gratefulness and accepted our offer.
Enjoying good visit time during those 2 days gave me a better understanding of who this beautiful young lady was and why she was open with my husband and myself. Little spiritual instruction as a child, poor fathering, and lots of painful relationships forged in her an independent resolve. Shuana was determined to be successful on her own terms and enjoy life with a true love.
During our talks, Shuana shared her practice of communicating with a boyfriend who had died tragically the year before. She seemed a little confused and uncomfortable with the supernatural phone communications she received from him but didn’t understand what to do about it. When I asked her if she had ever used the Ouija board, she admitted her and friends would consult the Ouija board during their teen years.
Shauna remained open as I launched into the explanation of good and evil, God and Satan, and our choice in serving one or the other. “I pray to God every day. I know I’ll struggle to be successful without His help. It’s too easy to become distracted with wrong influences. I’ve been down that road. I don’t want to go back,” Shauna declared. She continued, “I guess if I’m trusting God, I shouldn’t be having this relationship with someone who’s dead.”
“Shuana, you can be free from the negative influence of these phone calls. Your heavenly Father loves you and won’t guide you wrong. He can put a stop to these communications once and for all if you tell Him you don’t want them anymore and ask him to stop them,” I explained.
She wasn’t quite convinced. Hours later I received one of those supernatural phone communications. Shuana overheard and was trembling when I hung up. She was convinced this evil influence was real. Shuana immediately had the talk, “God, I no longer want anything to do with conversations with the dead. I’m sorry I trusted those voices. I only want to trust your voice.” Shuana then went outside to be alone with God and get things right between the two of them. That day Shuana was set free from an occult spirit.
Almost a year later, Shuana reports she has never had another one of those phone calls from the dead and continues to talk to God daily. The location and quality of her dwelling has greatly improved and she’s doing well in her career.
But she struggles in relational maturity because of lack of Godly wisdom. She doesn’t want to read the Bible or go to church but expresses gratitude for the loving concern we’ve shown her.
Over the years, my husband and I have spent lots of time getting to know God, his voice, his ways, his words, his direction. The truth and love we’ve received from others who know God, have brought wisdom and healthy freedom. We have lots more to learn about the goodness of God.
Because we’ve gotten to know God, we heard his voice and took Shuana in. We introduced her to an aspect of God’s character she didn’t know and continue to be a sounding board. Yes, it’s discouragingly frustrating when she dismisses Godly wisdom.
But, there was the day several months ago she phoned and shared she’d just gotten baptized in the ocean. She had been shopping on Miami Beach and several women shared with her spiritual encouragement. They asked if she would like to be baptized and she said yes. The texted pictures documenting the moment encouraged us.
Loving people with prayers and truth can be messy with mixed outcomes. Without knowing the future, obeying God’s voice can be scary. But so very rewarding when history shows the good result. How can we wake up our neighborhoods, churches, and nation to this loving powerful atmosphere changing God?
Be hungry to learn more of God, sit with him, courageously obey his voice in little and big things, and look to him expecting a good outcome at the end of the story. That’s what Jesus modeled, forever filling the atmosphere with his promise to do the same in and through us.
After 18 years of marriage, there are still aspects of my husband’s character I’m learning. What aspect of God’s character does he want to teach you and me to further change the atmosphere around us for good?
And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him–the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth. (NLT: Isaiah 11: 2 – 4)