Through the Holy Spirit, I calmly looked at Mable and said, “You are not going to drop me off on the side of the road. We are taking you home so that you can rest. If you want your driver to take me home at that point, that’s fine, but I’m not leaving this car while you are in this state.”
She looked at me in confusion and replied, “But why am I feeling this way? This is freaking me out!”
I looked at her and again spoke calmly. “For the past 45 minutes, I have been engaging with you on a deep emotional level. You shared things with me that your own husband doesn’t even know. That trust and vulnerability create what is called emotional intimacy. That is what usually helps women to be attracted to others. In our case, you may have never felt as known or accepted as you have in this past hour. It’s a lot to sift through and process.”
A noticeable peace settled over her when she heard my explanation. She said, “Holly, you are wise for your years.”
Smiling I said, “I just know that people want to be fully known and fully loved—including you. God created the intimacy you are experiencing with me. God was the one that had you open up to me after class the day after your accident. God was the one who woke me up with the call to prayer at 3:30 in the morning to write you a letter. God was the one who blessed you by reading it. God was the one who encouraged you to reach out and ask for my help while you were bleeding outside of our class today. This has all been orchestrated by God.”
This seemed to calm her, and soon we arrived at her house.
An Unexpected Phone Call
When I walked into her home, I was amazed at how clean, modern and American her décor was. Eyeing the beautifully painted walls, tiled kitchen, plush living room furniture and hardwood floors, I felt right at home.
She headed to her seven-year-old daughter’s bedroom so that she could lie on the bed in an air-conditioned room. I followed her. As she curled up in a fetal position, she motioned to me and said, “Come sit by me.”
I just stood there. I wasn’t sure if it was wise to sit by her on the bed in her vulnerable emotional state, especially after what she had expressed on the car ride over.
Grasping my hesitancy, she said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything to you. I just need to be comforted.”
I’m not the type of girl that likes to cuddle with women, play with their hair or even link arms; but I took another step of faith and sat by her on the bed. She snuggled in. I quickly asked the Lord how to handle this situation. It was clear that I needed to begin to pray for her out loud. I didn’t ask her if I could pray for her. I just stated that I was going to pray and dove in.
“Lord, I pray for Mable right now. She’s in a lot of pain, and she’s afraid. Lord, we pray for her baby right now. Please stop the bleeding and protect her baby. We know from Psalm 139 that You created this baby in a secret place. You have all the days planned for her. Lord, You love Mable. Please show her Your love.”
Janet Perez Eckles 
Shawn Akers 
Abby Trivett