“Breakout” With The Holy Spirit
Reading Time: 8 Minutes
Our daughter, Lindsay, and her husband, Joel, had just closed on a house and were taking a month to do some remodeling before moving in. I drove a couple of hours from our home to help them prime their living/dining room walls. It gave me such joy to be able to contribute this small gesture of love. The primer went up easy so the next day I began putting a coat of paint on the same walls. How fun!
God’s Grace
For at least a week, family and friends had helped with ceilings, walls, floors, electricity and so much more. But Joel and Lindsay were doing much of the remodel in addition to full-time work, monitoring their children’s virtual schooling (it was 2020), and planting a new church. The grace of God had been on Joel and Lindsay so mightily with signs at every turn. All of these thoughts flooded my heart as I rolled on the first few walls of beautiful gray paint. This was the open family room where they and their children would eat, sit, talk, laugh, play games and entertain guests. I could see these things in the future projecting like a movie in my mind and heart.
Lunch Break
I enjoy being with people, but when it comes to work, it doesn’t bother me to be alone. It turned out well for me because sometimes others were in the house working, and sometimes they were not. At lunchtime I had a sandwich on the steps of the back porch, admiring the beautiful fig trees and the giant “Turtle Rock” the grandchildren had already grown fond of playing on. I checked my text and Facebook. Then I got up with a smile, knowing there were only two walls left to paint! Afterward, I would go up to Lindsay and Joel’s rental house, take a shower and drive back home.
Bathroom Break
Before starting my final stretch of painting I decided to use the bathroom. After washing my hands, I dried them on my paint-stained blue jeans and reached for the door knob. The lock was one of those flat wide buttons that you twist instead of push. But when I twisted it, it went around and around in both directions. But the knob was not turning! Oh no! I was locked in the bathroom! Yikes!
I checked my pockets for my phone and realized it was still on the steps outside where I had eaten my sandwich. So, I looked around. There was no window. Beside the sink there was a scraper with a sharp blade and the cardboard tube from a toilet paper roll. I tried the scraper but it wasn’t long enough to get behind the latch bolt. So I tore the cardboard tube and tried forcing it through but the cardboard collapsed.
Taking Thoughts Captive
For a few seconds I began to feel fear. But knowing that fear isn’t God’s will, I rebuked the fear in Jesus’ Name. The fear left. As worrisome and impatient thoughts began to knock on the door of my mind, I realized this might be a test from God. Sometimes God takes us through trials to turn our face toward His and to increase our faith and dependency in Him. Other times, the devil causes mayhem for evil. But God can turn a bad situation upside down and use it for our good! Either way, God is with us if we choose to remain in Him and believe that He loves us and is for us. So I took every thought captive as the Word of God commands us to do. I quietly quoted Psalm 91 from my heart. The peace of God remained as I thanked the Lord for His presence and focused on Him.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
Think Positively
I was determined to think positively because that’s what the Word says to do. These are some of the things I thought about. Someone would eventually come and let me out. There was a commode lid to sit on. If I got tired, the shower looked clean so I could lay down and rest there for a while. I had just eaten, so hunger was not a problem. There was clean running water and a toilet. What more could I ask for?
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Listen!
As all this was taking place I had spoken to the Lord several times and acknowledged His presence. But then I decided to quietly listen for His voice. He would show me if there was anything I needed to do. So I sat down on the commode lid and listened for the Holy Spirit to speak. He said, “Open the door.” So I went to the door and turned the knob, only it wouldn’t turn. It was still locked. So I thought, “Maybe I didn’t hear Him after all.”
Love Never Fails
Determined to not let the enemy get a foothold, I decided to sit back down and pray for people, especially people I knew who were very ill. Why waste this precious time? People could be healed and delivered! How wonderful would that be? So I closed my eyes and began declaring God’s Word over my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Clues From The Holy Spirit
But only after praying a minute or two I saw an image of my new white tennis shoes with the black laces. The laces! I opened my eyes, and even though I was wearing my old gray sneakers, I took off the right shoe lace and threaded it down behind the latch bolt. Then I fished it out with a piece of the cardboard tube. With both ends of the shoestring in my hands, I gently pulled and the latch moved! I grabbed the door knob, pulled toward myself and I was free! It’s amazing how getting your mind off your own problems and having compassion for others can open your eyes to the heavenly realms!
Breakout!
Praise the Lord! I had heard the Holy Spirit after all and I opened the door! If you’ve ever played “Breakout” in Birmingham, well, I had my own breakout with the Holy Spirit! We did it in around 20 to 25 minutes!
I texted the whole family about my breakout experience and we had a lot of fun with it, complete with GIFs. Lindsay and Joel were extremely apologetic (as if it was somehow their fault) but I know the Lord used it to grow my faith. He wanted me to embrace His peace, value others above myself through prayer, believe Him when He speaks and enjoy practicing a gift of the Spirit. I also believe He wanted me to share this with you to encourage you in some way.
God Speaks To Us
There was a simple but deep message I believe the Lord was giving me and all of us. My shoes represent the Gospel of peace, the foundation of our faith. The shoelaces represent my faith in Jesus that I have bound myself to that enables me to walk on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Only faith in the grace of Jesus can open the door to our freedom!
The Holy Spirit desires to be given the lead in every situation, thought and impulse. God wants to help us! He should be involved in every detail of our lives. The Holy Spirit wants to converse with each one of us, all the time, about everything! And He doesn’t just speak to pastors and leaders. He speaks to each of His children. But we have to believe first, and then practice listening to Him. And above all other things in this life, let’s put on our Gospel shoes! They hold the key to breakthrough!
The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27 AMP
Trials Are Opportunities
Trials will come. They are like steps. If we persevere with the Lord, we can move upward, gaining “spiritual muscle.” When we become stronger in our faith in God we will be better able to drive the enemy away. But if we take our eyes off of the Lord, we will surely step downward into fear, doubt and defeat.
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. James 1:2-3 GNT
God Helps Us in Times of Trouble
God offers His children phenomenal natural and spiritual breakout experiences with Him! I pray that we will always keep learning to hear His gentle voice, not just in trials, but every moment of every day. He is worthy of our attention, praise and obedience! When the day of great trouble comes, we will be confident in the Lord! He is our great deliverer!
God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble. For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, when its waves,crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. (Selah) Psalm 46:1-3 NET
God loves you and wants you to know Him personally! If you would like to understand more about a personal relationship with Him, please visit this link: Meet Jesus. God bless you!
