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| Photographed at Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC Photo compliments of Sandra Copyright 2010 |
Greetings -
This is Part 4. If you haven't read Parts 1, 2, and 3 and are inclined to do so, please note that they were posted here on February 5th, 7th, and 8th.
Scriptures are from the King James Bible.
Last paragraph...from Part 3:
One evening Paul, Dee, and some others were out in front of their building, and I was sitting in the front of mine. Dee began to loudly share how she and Paul had visited his hometown in Connecticut. She went on to loudly share about the content of some photos that they had taken. She expressed something like, "This is me and Paul and his sister." On and on she loudly shared, purposely to hurt me.
That did it - it was on...!
PART 4 BEGINS:
The night before Dee's photo sharing, Paul had phoned me. After Dee's loud sharing on the front that day, the following evening, the Lord told me to sit on the front until Dee and Paul arrived home. I don't recall how long I sat out there but it was in excess of an hour. When they arrived, and got out of the vehicle, I verbally unloaded. I cannot remember verbatim what I uttered, but I clearly recollect that the first thing that I loudly said was, "Did he tell you that he called me last night?!" They were both stunned at my verbal boldness because up to then, in this drama, I had been largely silent on the public "front." That night, I "let it rip." I revealed to Dee what Paul had shared with me about her personal business, and that he had told me that she was insecure. I let her know also that Paul had phoned me to give me his new cell phone number. And for "good measure," in case she didn't believe me, I cited Paul's new phone number digit by digit. Paul denied that he had phoned me the night before - no matter - my mission was accomplished.
They went inside their building and I went inside mine. I didn't feel ANY conviction from our Lord that I had misspoke a single word.
One day Daryl shared with me that Dee and Paul had been going to church on some Sundays. That surprised me.
I had a friend (I'll call her Vicky) who was once our upstairs neighbor. She had an uncle (I'll call him Arthur) who lived a few buildings down from me. One weekend day, I went out for a day of recreation. I was gone for most of that day. Vicky phoned me and asked if I had heard about Dee and Paul. I replied no. She said that Arthur had told her about a loud argument outside between Dee and Paul. During that argument, Paul had called Dee a crack addict. What?! I thought, Dee is a crack addict?! I was stunned. Later, I received confirmation that it was true.
One day I was walking down the street on my block toward home. Dee was standing out front on the sidewalk talking to a man. As I approached to pass by them, Dee spoke "hello" to me. The Lord told me not to respond, and that I was not to speak to her until she was no longer with Paul. The Lord also reminded me of that day when I had come out to speak with her and how she had "blew me off." This morning, in process of writing this, our Lord gave me Ecclesiastes 3:7, 8, "...a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time of war, and a time of peace." Our Lord also gave me Mark 6:11, "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them."
Another day, when I sat on the front, Dee drove up and stopped. She said to me that if I wanted to talk to her that I could phone her. She told me at about what time she would return from church. I didn't respond. Later, I phoned Paul and told him to inform Dee that I didn't have anything to talk to her about.
GOD had arranged a reversal. Dee now had a desire to engage me. Our Lord reminded me yesterday of this scripture from Hebrews 10:13, "From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool."
Following are revelations from Daryl which were later confirmed:
- Dee was once married for seventeen years to a pastor. I assumed from that information that Dee was a backslidden Christian.
- Dee was cheating on Paul. She was leaving Paul at home while she "tricked" (prostituted) uptown, with at least one man, to get money to feed her crack habit. Some nights she wouldn't return home.
- Paul went to Daryl because of the pain caused him by Dee. Daryl became comfort and help to Paul. He had warned Paul about Dee.
- Daryl had grown more discomfited about Dee. He shared with me that her "evil spirit" was "wearing" on him. He told Dee that she had to leave his unit.
Some days later Vicky phoned to tell me that her uncle, Arthur, saw Paul moving his belongings out of Dee's place. What?! He had decided to leave Dee. Later I found out that she "fought" to keep Paul there, to no avail.
Several times, Daryl told me that Paul came to visit Dee.
As I mentioned in Part 3 of this topic, Daryl knew Dee from another neighborhood. Our Lord used Daryl to share information with me about some of what was going on with Dee and Paul. Paul had elected to confide in Daryl. During that time, and after the drama ended, I never betrayed Daryl's confidence that he was informing to me about Paul. It was about a year later, AFTER Daryl was deceased, that I could be "released" from confidentiality to tell Paul what Daryl had confided in me. I fully believe that our Lord used Daryl, a backslidden Christian, who became a crack addict, to be an "informer" to benefit me, and of course, more importantly, GOD's purposes.
Before I continue, I pause here to place on written record that I am deeply grateful to Daryl not only because of his role as informer, but because he really cared for me, and I know that his heart felt for my pain in the triangular drama. Also, when Paul shared with Daryl about the "prophetic" letter that I had given Paul, Daryl had wisely advised Paul to heed the content of the letter. Daryl had also warned Paul about Dee. Paul chose to continue the doomed "affair." Thank GOD for his mercy and forgiveness - without it, none of us could overcome.
Daryl was a deep comfort during this entire episode. Yes, he was a backslidden Christian, but thanks be unto GOD, that HE had Daryl there for me. I truly felt Daryl's compassion and care.
One morning at work at about 7:30 a.m. (my shift had started at 7:00 a.m.), I felt very nauseous. My supervisor allowed me to leave. I got home and went to sleep. A few hours later, I woke and my nausea was gone. The Lord told me to go look out the front window. I did, and Dee was in the process of moving out! The Lord told me to go and sit out front until she had moved out completely, and drove off from the area. Daryl and his girlfriend joined me on my front. His girlfriend was somewhat hesitant and expressed her reluctance. She said something like she didn't want to start anything. I believe that she was somewhat intimidated by Dee. Daryl and I spoke up and stated boldly that we were staying right there. His girlfriend stayed, as well. Dee said nothing to us and we said nothing to her. We three sat there until she and her help had completely finished her move and drove off. I fully believe that our Lord allowed me to feel very nauseous at work that morning to be able to come home to watch Dee move.
One day, I believe it was about a couple of weeks later, our Lord told me to phone Dee to let her know that I had forgiven her and to ask for her forgiveness for anything that I may have done wrong relative to her. Her voice mail came on and the Lord let me know that I could leave the subject message on her voice mail. I left the message which I ended with a statement something like, "I wish you the best..." Later Paul told me that Dee had told him about my message. She told him something to the effect that she wasn't receptive - no matter - I did what our Lord told me to do relative to the forgiveness issue.
Eventually (months later), Paul completely left his relationship with Dee.
In total, the high drama "triangle" lasted about three months UNTIL the Lord did as He had expressed in the letter that I had given Paul - HE broke up Paul and Dee.
...thus ends the triangular saga of Dee, Paul and me.
Sometime in the future, I will share here more of our Lord's movements about Paul...
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| Photographed at Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC Photo compliments of Sandra Copyright 2010 |
Mark 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
2 Corinthians 1:3, 4, 7, 9
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Sandra
Written Wednesday February 9, 2011
Copyright 2011
UPDATE: Please read the excerpts below from Part 1 where I express hesitancy about baring so much in this four-part story. I am pleased to report that it was not a painful experience to re-visit, as I had anticipated. Praise our Lord that it was, with ease, that I wrote all four parts of this story from my life.
Excerpts from Part 1:
Our Lord knows that I was not eager to do this post. It will cause memories to surface. Some of this is truth that some may find challenging to take in. Our Father GOD told me to tell it because it is what it is. Further, He reminded me that the Holy Bible contains accounts that are challenging to take in, nonetheless, it is truth.
I'm not ashamed of any of what I share because I am fully persuaded that it is all covered by the blood of Christ.
Our Lord shared with me that someone is waiting to read this post - only GOD knows who and why. He also informed me that, though, I'm not eager to revisit some "places," healing will happen for me on a larger scale for my obedience to do this. BY FAITH, I BELIEVE GOD!
