by Pat Simmons
“Satan, I bind you in the name of Jesus. The blood is against you, so you might as well flee….” She continued calling on the blood of Jesus until the spirit loosened its hold and vanished before her eyes.
Some demons come out only by fasting and prayer. God’s words seemed to rattle the windows like thunder as He spoke Matthew 17:21.
Shari blinked as she registered what had actually happened. It definitely hadn’t been a dream, because she was wide-awake. Immediately, she thanked the Lord for sparing her life and that of Garrett’s grandfather. But the demon Landon had brought to the hospital was strong, and if she hadn’t acted as God had instructed her to when that man had been chanting, then he probably would have taken Grandpa Moses’s life.
She decided to fast, which would mean forgoing the big breakfast Deborah had promised in the morning before heading to the hospital. “Jesus, thank You for leading me on this battlefield.” She looked over her shoulder one more time. Even though her rebuke had caused the demon to flee, the encounter had her shaken up so that she couldn’t fall back to sleep right away. As she lay awake, Shari debated calling Garrett. While she didn’t want to wake him, she needed to hear his voice.
“Hey, baby,” he said when he answered, his speech slurred with slumber. Now she wished she hadn’t disturbed him. “Is everything okay?”
“Well, it is now.” She went on to explain in detail what had happened.
“Do you need me to come over there?” Now his voice was strong and fully alert.
“No, but we need to fast and pray without ceasing. Your grandfather isn’t out of the woods yet. In the morning, I’ll call my mother and tell her to activate the prayer band and to notify my sisters. The devil is about to go down!”
Garrett chuckled. “I love my little spitfire. If I were a demon, I would be very, very afraid. Okay, we’ve got this. I’ll be praying for you to get some rest. See you in the morning, babe.”
“Yes, in Jesus’ name. ’Night.” Shari rolled over. She drifted back to sleep with one eye open.
***
After Shari’s phone call, Garrett couldn’t sleep. He blamed his cousin Landon for bringing the seven demons around his family. He was not about to let them win by taking his grandfather and his woman. Getting out of bed, Garrett grabbed his Bible and began to read, rebuking the devil. When he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, he climbed back in bed and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, Garrett prayed while he showered and dressed, then called to check on Shari. She assured him that she’d slept like a baby. En route to his sister’s house, he called Deborah and told her what had happened.
“What! You mean, the devil had the nerve to enter my house while I was there? Shari should have come and awakened me.”
“She handled it with prayer, but the Lord told her that the only way to fight this is with prayer and fasting. That means Shari and I will be skipping breakfast this morning. Sorry.”
“I’m in,” Deborah told him. “I’ll just fix Jamal something light. Once you get here, we’ll pray and then head to the hospital.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Garrett grinned. His sister was probably already on the phone, calling or sending texts to other family members and telling them to pray and fast. Shari was right—those demons were going down. Twenty minutes later, he pulled in front of Deborah’s row house and parked. He jumped out of his SUV and hiked up the front steps two at a time.
He didn’t even knock, because Jamal had already opened the door when he reached the porch. “Hi, Uncle G. Momma and Miss Shari are in the back praying.” He took a bite of toast smothered with jelly.
Garrett’s stomach growled, but he shook his head, summoning his resolve. He planned to punish his flesh today. After closing the front door and locking it, he headed to the family room to join his sister and Shari. The sounds of voices lifted in prayer drew him closer. He didn’t waste any time falling to his knees and crying out to Jesus. Soon, he felt Jamal’s body slump against him.
“Jesus, please make my great-grandfather better,” Jamal interjected his own prayer request, evidently recognizing the seriousness of his relative’s condition.
They lost track of time as God descended in their presence and filled their mouths with holy language until they all were speaking in other tongues to Jesus. No interpretation was necessary; they all were of one accord in their intercession for Grandpa Moses.
Chapter 27
At Logan Airport the next morning, Shari lost track of the number of times Garrett hugged her and told her how much he loved her as they said good-bye. He probably would have felt no shame at all if she missed her flight home because of her insistence on stopping by the hospital one more time to check on his grandfather. Grandpa Moses had been resting comfortably and looking better.
“Any minute now,” Garrett said, his eyes reflecting all his love for her.
“I’ll be waiting.” She tapped a kiss to his lips, waved good-bye, and entered the security check-in line. “God, You are truly great.”
It’s because of Calvary that you have the victory, Jesus whispered as she boarded the plane back home.
Already dressed for church, Shari arrived in Philly with plenty of time to make it to church for the morning worship. Stacy, Ted, and her mother met her at the airport. They exchanged hugs, and Ted took her carry-on.
“You did the right thing, going with Brother Nash,” her mother told her. “How is his grandfather this morning?”
“Mr. Miller is greatly improved, to the rejoicing of his family, praise God.” Shari lifted a hand in the air. “He’s out of the ICU and in a private room.”
“Yes!” Stacy and Ted exchanged a high five.
Looping her arm through her mother’s, Shari followed her sister and brother-in-law to their vehicle.
“Judging by your smile and glow, Brother Miller must be as good as healed,” Ted stated as he maneuvered his car out of the parking garage.
When Shari looked up, she noticed him eyeing her in the rearview mirror. “Let’s hope so. Plus, Garrett is going to propose.” Shari squeezed her eyes closed at the thought, feeling excited beyond measure.
“‘Going to’? Why didn’t he already?” Ted demanded. “Do the Carmen men and I need to have a talk with him?”
Her brother-in-law took his role as protector of the Carmen sisters very seriously, although she found it quite comical. “There’s no need.” She chuckled. “It will happen any minute now.”
“Well, we have good news all around,” Stacy said slyly.
Frowning, Shari leaned forward. “What’s going on?”
Stacy shrugged. “Oh, nothing. Just don’t miss our sister video chat tomorrow. Now we can add your being almost engaged to the agenda. Maybe you’ll be betrothed in a few days and married in a week.”
“I doubt if Garrett is going to rush it.”
“He’s saved, isn’t he?” Ted asked.
Shari nodded. “But what does that have to do with it?”
“Then he won’t be able to wait.”
Stacy slapped her husband’s hand. “Dirty mind.”
“Just keepin’ it real.” Ted smirked as he chauffeured them the rest of the way to the church, humming an off-key rendition of “Here Comes the Bride.”
Chapter 28
With his grandfather on the mend, Garrett was ready to get back to Philly. His job could wait, but he had to see Shari. She was too far from his reach.
For the first time since he’d relocated, Garrett planned to attend his former home church, where he would give thanks to God for His mercy and grace and for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Whether Brittani or Landon decided to make an appearance at the service or not, Garrett would have praise in his mouth.
Surprisingly, more than a few members welcomed him back with open arms as they asked about his grandfather. Some were the very people who had cast judgmental glances at him when the rumor had surfaced that his fiancée was pregnant with his baby, despite his denial.
What a difference a few months made! None of them asked for his forgiveness, but Garrett was at peace enough to forgive them in his heart, anyway.
Settling in the pew with several other family members, Garrett prepared to hear the Word preached by his former pastor, who was already standing at the podium, welcoming visitors.
“Today’s sermon comes from First Samuel fifteen, verse twenty-two,” Bishop Jackson announced. “God makes it plain that obedience is better than—preferred to—sacrifice. The trade-off is that He will not withhold any good thing from us. He loves us too much. At times, however, God does require a sacrifice on our part. We must not be selfish by refusing to part with anything we hold dear. There is nothing we have that is greater than His sacrifice on the cross for us….”
Garrett had heard that passage preached on years ago, but somehow it seemed more relevant this morning. Without knowing what blessings awaited him in Philly, Garrett praised Jesus that he had been obedient to His voice. He shuddered to think what turn of events his life might have taken if he had stayed in Boston, expecting God to remove Landon and Brittani from his life. In hindsight, that had been a ridiculous assumption, considering that Landon was family.
When Bishop Jackson closed his Bible, the congregation stood for the altar call, a summons to those who knew they weren’t saved and who wanted to accept the Lord’s salvation. His former pastor’s plea was just as passionate as it had always been when Garrett had attended here. Souls repented and requested baptism by water and fire in Jesus’ name.
Garrett didn’t linger long after the benediction. The only thing on his mind was picking out an engagement ring for Shari that was as exquisite as she. For the next two days, he split his time between the hospital, monitoring his grandfather’s recovery, and several jewelers, shopping for a ring. The search proved more challenging than anticipated. He visited three respected jewelers in the Boston area, but nothing caught his eye. Frustration began to nag at him. He didn’t want to return to Philly empty-handed.
As he was parking his mother’s car in the driveway of his childhood home, his smartphone played its generic tone. He smiled when he saw John Whitman’s name on the caller ID.
“What’s up, bro?” John said. “I’m calling to check in on your grandfather, on your reception at Blood Redemption Temple, and on Bishop Jackson. I wasn’t the only one missing your presence in the bandstand on Sunday. Under her smile, Shari looked lost without you, so I advise you to hurry back.” he chuckled.
That made Garrett smile. “I miss her, too—one more day, and then I’ll see my lady. My Grandpa is steadily regaining his strength.” He paused and twisted his lips. He was still exasperated over the fruitless ring search. “I’m a little bummed, though, because I’ve been shopping for an engagement ring, and nothing seems to hold my attention.”
“Man, I’m sure you’ll find something on Jewelers’ Row on Sansom Street here in Philly. It ranks up there with New York’s Diamond District. Even Edgar Allen Poe’s engraver resided at seven thirty-two Sansom.” John sounded like a sales rep.
Although Garrett had wanted to buy the ring in Beantown, where he’d grown up, he figured the Philly jewelers were worth a try. “I’d rather have the ring in hand when I propose, but if this place is what you say it is, perhaps Shari and I will just go there together. One thing is certain: By this time next week, I plan to be an engaged man.”
John grunted. “What took you so long? Rita and I saw it coming all along.”
“Sure you did,” Garrett joked.
Once they had ended the call, Garrett reflected on the amazing sequence of unpredictable events in his life. Who would have thought that he would be asking two different women to marry him, and within the span of two years? Of course, Brittani hadn’t had a clue that a proposal was coming. They were strolling through Morris Arboretum, admiring the colorful foliage along the trail, before stopping at the waterfall. Garrett suggested they rest, and when they settled on a stone wall, he got on one knee and proposed.
“I guess this time around, it could be fun to do it differently,” he said to himself as he grabbed his Bible. Although he had heard various people claim to have found their “soul mate,” he hadn’t understood them until now, knowing that God had caused their paths to intersect at a designated moment—not a minute too soon or too late. God’s timing was perfect.
Garrett flipped the pages until he reached the book of Proverbs. He skipped over the popular eighteenth chapter, where it stated a man who finds a wife is a good thing. Finding a wife was the easy part. He should know, having had two chances. Now he was searching for something deeper. He flipped back a few pages and found it in Proverbs 5:18: “Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.”
Garrett analyzed every word. He wanted a consecrated life and a long marriage with Shari. His parents had been married for thirty-five years, and his grandparents were going on fifty-one. He reread the passage, then meditated on it, trying to apply it to his own life.
Finally, he knelt by his bed and prayed. “Lord, thank You for walking with me throughout my life. I know it was You who changed my course. Help me to be the head that my wife can honor. Guide us to give You the glory through our marriage. Bless us with many children to come through her womb. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
I will bless you. I will bless her womb. I will bless your children, God whispered to his spirit.
Although God’s presence made Garrett tremble in reverence, he smiled. He couldn’t wait to be a married man.
***
Shari’s heart pounded as she stepped into the courtroom. Garrett wouldn’t be there; he was still in Boston. Her focus was to keep her two clients, both young black nineteen-year-olds, out of jail. They had told her that they had been the victims of police profiling because of their race. Once they had explained the situation in detail, Shari had come to believe them, and now she hoped to convince the judge to reach the same conclusion. Her mission was to save innocent black men from entering the prison system.
When the bailiff called her case, Shari approached Judge Halston with confidence. “Your Honor, my clients’ civil rights were violated when officers Campbell and Brown used the ‘jump out’ tactic to intimidate the defendants because they believed the two looked suspicious by the way they were dressed.”
The “jump out” ploy was supposedly successful in snagging unsuspecting drug dealers, catching them off guard. Officers would cruise up in an unmarked police car and ask for drugs, weapons, or cash. But the scheme also sometimes framed innocent citizens such as her clients.
“The police had no probable cause to believe these two defendants were drug dealers or criminals of any sort. They simply saw two young black men standing outside and targeted them….”
The judge called for an hour recess and then returned with a verdict: case dismissed. Shari silently praised God for the victory. Two down, thousands more innocent people to go.
Although it had been a long day in court, she smiled when she checked her phone and saw Garrett’s text.
Landed.
Chapter 29
Although choosing between God’s business versus personal business was a no-brainer, Shari would have preferred to be anywhere except on the church van with the other prison ministry members.
Shari had pouted when she’d broken the news to Garrett that they would have to reschedule their weekend date. “Saturday is our last prison ministry outing of the season,” she’d explained. “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been to the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, but the women there are hungry for self-help books and inspiration.”
“Okay. At least after Xena’s incident at Bayside State, I’m glad Pastor Underwood banned you and the other sisters from setting foot inside another all-male prison,” Garrett had admitted. “Be careful just the same. Men aren’t the only violent offenders.”
“I will be careful, and prayerful, too,” Shari had promised him before they’d said goo
d night.
Now, settling into her seat for the hour-and-a-half ride across the state line for their final mission of the year, Shari stared out the window at the passing scenery as they traveled north on Route 31. She had a lot to be thankful for, including Grandpa Moses’s improving health. She had seen firsthand how the devil had afflicted Landon and Brittani’s minds. No wonder God had removed Garrett physically from the situation.
Garrett. Despite the chaos around him, he had found a way to love again, and he had chosen her. “God had handpicked you for me before I even opened my eyes to see you,” Garrett had told her during a late-night phone call.
She had never been happier. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude. Thank You, Jesus, for looking out for my behalf, she mused.
Since Garrett’s return four days earlier, she had been waiting for him to hint at when he might propose. If she hadn’t needed to fulfill this commitment, would today have been the day? Nothing would keep her from saying yes. One perk of marrying Garrett, besides getting a praying husband, would be to gain praying in-laws.
She wanted to text or talk to Garrett, but he would only serve as a distraction, and she had to deny herself that pleasure for now. Going into the enemy’s camp required fasting, prayer, and spiritual discernment if she wanted to expect God to manifest wickedness before her eyes as He had at the hospital. Refocusing on the mission at hand, Shari opened her Bible and began to study the Scriptures.
Soon the van turned off I-78 onto 30 County Road. An antiquated-looking brick mansion came into view, with wide stone front steps and twin gaslights offering a mock warm welcome to visitors. The grounds resembled the campus of a small rural college, and anyone who didn’t know better might have wondered if he had stumbled upon the nearby Beaver Brook Country Club. But Edna Mahan was New Jersey’s only all-female correctional facility.
“This is one cool correctional palace if you have to serve time,” Xena mumbled as the bus pulled to a stop.
