This month we’re talking about miracles, stories of seeing the power of God in supernatural ways.
While cooking in her Atlanta apartment in 2011, Lauren Campbell Bray of January 2016 E Squad heard God speak. What He said made no sense — until she heard the sounds outside her door.
This blog is really hard for me write because it’s about the most terrifying night of my life. But the truth is, as difficult as this night was, God’s hands were all over it. I saw His power, felt His presence, and heard His voice in the midst of fear and pain.
Listening to the Holy Spirit saved my life.
Just four years ago, I stood in my pajamas in the kitchen of the Atlanta apartment I’d lived in for three years, preparing meals for the upcoming week. Unexplainably, I felt like I needed to to put regular clothes on and charge my (almost dead) cell phone.
This was weird because I was already in for the night. I didn’t need to put my clothes on or charge my phone.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling. So I got completely dressed; I even put socks and shoes on and charged my cell phone.
About twenty minutes later, I felt the same urge, this time to put my now charged phone in my back pocket. I felt weird, even a little foolish. There I was, home for the night, now changed out of my pajamas, with a partially charged cell phone, and ready for — what, exactly?
I figured that since I was dressed I would walk my dog and get something out of my car.
When I went to get my dog, the Holy Spirit told me, “No.” At this point, I knew God was speaking to me. It went beyond an impression; it was as if I’d heard the words aloud.
Still confused, I continued with my meal prep.
Then I heard scuffling outside my door. No big deal. I kept cooking. Minutes later, I heard a loud bang and more scuffling. Curious, I went to see what was going on.
As I opened my front door, I heard two more loud bangs and saw a flash.
I walked towards the flash and looked to my left, where a man lay on the ground. You know that whole fight or flight thing? Yeah, apparently I run towards what’s going on.
I pulled my phone from my pocket (now I understood why it needed to be charged and in my pocket) as I ran towards him.
I’ll never forget the look on his face and in his eyes when he saw me. He couldn’t move his body; all he could manage was moving his eyes. They darted back and forth while I spoke with the 911 operator.
I thought the man had just fallen. I sat beside him, talking to him, letting him know that I was there with him, and he wasn’t alone.
Then I saw the bullet holes in his chest.
Time stood completely still. I looked back at his face, finally understanding what was about to happen, and put my hands under his head, the phone still to my ear. I looked down at the wounds for a split second and felt his entire body go limp.
I knew at that moment, his soul was gone. I stared at his face, this man I didn’t know — lying dead in my arms.
Soon, that quiet moment turned into a fully involved crime scene, the police arrived and surrounded the area. No one was allowed to be with me and I was not allowed to leave. I had no information for the cops, just that this stranger was alive and then he wasn’t.
The rest of the night blurred together: question after question, dogs roaming the apartment complex, cops standing guard at our doors all night long. I remember pacing my used-to-be-calm home while my body shook uncontrollably as the realization of what really happened set in:
Three men with guns had started their night by hiding behind cars choosing victims. Then they went from home to home getting rid of the men and raping the women for hours.
The man who died saved his girlfriend from that torture. He was a hero; she had time to run away while they shot him.
Let’s go back to the beginning of the night, when the Holy Spirit was quietly speaking to me. Think about this for a minute:
I was going out to walk my dog and go out to my car. I would have walked right up to those then men with guns.
I had every reason to think that putting on normal clothes, charging my phone, and placing it in my pocket was unnecessary. I had every rational reason to ignore those thoughts. But I couldn’t . . . because I knew the voice of God.
When the Holy Spirit speaks, it does not always make sense. It might seem crazy, and it’s common to wonder if it’s our own thoughts. This is why it’s so important to have a continual, growing relationship with God — because with it comes the discernment of the Holy Spirit.
And the best way to do that is to spend time with Him. Developing a growing relationship with God is the same as with anyone else: dependent on spending time together, talking together, listening, and getting to know each other. I recognized the Holy Spirit that night because I’d become familiar with His voice simply through spending time with Him.
I’m launching on the World Race in January. For the next year, I’ll be in unfamiliar places and situations, surrounded by languages I do not know and squadmates whom I will get to know well — to the point where I will recognize their voices even if I can’t see their faces.
But there is something I’ll else be listening for — and something I know will be there — everywhere I go: the presence of God.
Do you want to experience God’s power while serving Him on the World Race? Click HERE to find out how you can GO in Fall 2016!
