The Lord will fight for you. You only need to be still. God whispered these words to my husband during the wee hours of the morning. When was it? A month ago or less. We took Him at his Word. Gave in and gave up. We fasted and prayed. Deprived of food and deprived of worry. Ten days, between two birthdays. And we waited while He fought. For us.
He did.
Around day eight I noticed the change. A shift. A brightening. Relief. Peace.
That’s really all we needed. Peace. Looking at us now, nothing else has changed. Same issues. Same habits. Same us. But different somehow. And there’s only one explanation, really. It’s peace.
Last week, on Friday, I had lunch with a friend. She brought something to the restaurant she wanted to give me. A birthday gift, but more. Something she created, for me, in prayer. My sweet friend prays while she paints. She plays with pattern and color, texture and words. While the Spirit leads prayers take shape on a pallet of love.
Out of chaos – light. That’s how she described it. And a word. Whispered. By the Spirit in prayer.
I’m shaking my head still.
This Word. Again. Four times now, a divine message. And who could make up such a story?
shalom
There is it, stamped bold, stitched in place. My word.
I thought she must have known. Surely she knew my story. But no. Not then, when she painted and prayed. It wasn’t a story remembered but a whisper discerned. My sister in spirit hearing His Spirit and stamping it out while she prayed. For me.
For Shalom. Peace.
And then on the back, there’s this greeting in pencil:
Sonya, Shalom unto you my sweet friend.
(Sonya – Shalom. I’ve heard this before, this gentle greeting that rocks my world!)
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his Shalom. Numbers 6:24-26 Kelley
Thank you, my friend. Shalom to you, too.