I was still praying for my word for the new year that was fast approaching. Knowing I would need to be brave for what He was calling me to do in the upcoming year, I quickly adopted ‘brave’ as my word for 2020.
One of the things I was going to do that year was start a support group for women. Still learning and healing from my past abuse, I knew I had a story to share that could help others walk through their stories as well as teach the red flags of abuse. But I had never led a support group before. I prayed for God to help me as I tried to help other women.
Like most assignments, I needed to go where God led me. He would handle the rest. As many times before, when I show up, He shows out. I knew I could trust Him with the outcome, so I took the next step. I registered my group on the church site and continued praying for guidance and help.
A couple of weeks into the new year, sitting in my quiet time, the word ‘echo’ was prominent in my mind. I searched for the word’s spiritual meaning. While surfing the internet and letting the Spirit lead me, I found a women’s ministry and a blog post entitled “To Be God’s Echo.” The article explains that the opportunity to tell people again what God had already said was an echo of the Almighty. It said that we must first listen to what He has said.[1]
It spoke directly to my heart for serving women through Faith Walk Ministries and the Sister’s Circle support group. The author said that as she ministers to women, she focuses on three words: encourage, embrace, and echo. I can relate to all three of these words, as one of my Spiritual gifts is encouraging others. I pray often that I will never hurt others with my words but lift them and give hope. Being an echo in the lives of others, to breathe God’s truth and love by being an echo to His heart, was just the inspiration I needed to hear. I knew I still needed to be brave, but my new word for that year was given to me by the purest of hearts: the Holy Spirit. I am amazed every day and still try to echo His truth throughout my ministry wherever He leads me.
If you are as astonished as I was at how God led me to this, wait to hear what happened next. A few days later, I was sitting in my quiet time again with my eyes closed in a dark room, as is my normal posture; I saw words written in cursive in my mind’s eye. I noticed the ‘D’ form, and then the whole name came into focus, ‘Dana West.’
I sat there for a minute, trying to make sense of it. Then, it occurred to me that this is a person’s name. So, just like before, I googled it. While scrolling through the actresses and other people with this name, I saw nothing that grabbed my attention, so I kept going. The next thing I knew, I was reading about a counselor named Dana West in Florida who – you guessed it – helps women deal with sexual abuse.
That is not all; she holds support groups and has been a long-time trainer to other facilitators. My mind was blown away.
I got her contact information and knew I had to call her – I wasn’t sure what to say to her – but I knew God would help me. I prayed and talked to God about it all that morning. Will she think I am crazy when I tell her I got her name from God? Or maybe I’ll let her know she came, ‘highly’ recommended. I laughed out loud about that one.
With back-to-back meetings that morning, I didn’t get a chance to call until after lunch. Dialing the number, I said another prayer. I figured I would probably get a voicemail, so I said, ‘God, I’ll leave a message, and if she calls me back, I know it is of you.’
To my surprise, the receptionist answered. I told her who I was and that I was calling from Kentucky, and I would like to speak to Dana West or at least leave a message for her. She asked if I was doing a referral. I explained that I was preparing to start a support group and wanted to ask her some questions and connect with her.
The girl assured me she would pass the information on to Dana and see if she wanted to call me back.
She said, “Where did you say you were calling from again?” I am sure she was wondering how in the world I got their info.
A couple of hours later, I got the call. I explained my group and gave some background on myself without sounding unsure why I was calling. I refrained from telling her upfront about God giving me her name until I could understand her spiritual beliefs. Then, as she spoke, I was sure I was talking to a fellow Christ-follower, and I felt the Holy Spirit telling me it was safe.
Her next question was, “How did you get my name?”
Here we go…I was still a little nervous.
I asked, just to be sure, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?”
With her affirmation, I told her the story of God writing her name, and my internet search landed me on her website. She explained that if the Holy Spirit gave me her name, she knew what He wanted her to share.
She was helpful, welcoming, and understanding. She asked questions about my abuse and my childhood and shared some of her own stories. She listened as I gave a snapshot of my life and where God has led me in my ministry for women over the last few years.
She asked about my healing process and if I knew about their online resources and classes. She reassured me God would help me lead this group by allowing the Holy Spirit to be the facilitator (something I still do every time). She recommended I pray about the facilitator training and study that would help me go deeper in my healing and then, in turn, be able to dive deeper with the women I want to help.
Then she dropped this little nugget on me.
“I have been praying for God to send me the women that need to talk to me. You are the third person that has reached out to me.”
Wow! I am in awe of this incredible God. Every. Single. Day.
A sister connection through the Holy Spirit. This gives a new meaning to God’s connection; my little brain can’t fully grasp it. Still, I know for sure that God is real, that God is listening, that God hears our prayers and knows our hearts. He not only connected me to someone who has been in my shoes, understands unhealthy, abusive relationships, and has the heart to help other women as I do, but He also equipped me with the tools to dive deeper into my healing so I could help others more profoundly and completely.
She talked about the women she serves as ‘sisters’ – she said that is what I call them. I informed her of the name of my support group, the ‘Sister’s Circle.’
By divine revelation, God can connect two people who have never met and live a thousand miles apart in such a masterful, incredible way to help each other restore the lives of others. Then she prayed over me and my ministry before we hung up. In her prayer, she said, “For such a time as this.” Esther 4:14 was a prominent verse to me over that last year. I even have a bracelet with the engraving, “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this,” given to me by my friend as a birthday present.
She offered to help me and asked that we stay in touch; what a Godsend and blessing. Sharing her story of redemption and how God has given her a chance to experience a healthy relationship with a godly man who would never abuse her is a beautiful testimony to Christ and what He can do for all of us. He restores, redeems, and heals, and delights in giving us the desires of our hearts. She offered me new hope on my journey. I was content and happy being single with God as my ‘One True Love’ and ‘Constant Companion.’ Still, in God’s timing, I knew it would happen if He had someone for me. That is when I began to list characteristics I wanted in a husband – someone who loves Jesus more than me and prays with and for me, among other specific godly traits – remembering a warning from an older woman I was in a life group with who once told me “You need to be specific when you pray – I had a friend who prayed for a husband, and that’s all she got.”
The Bible also gives us the fruits of the spirit as a guide for desirable qualities we should watch for that the Holy Spirit produces in a person’s life – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control, and faithfulness (Gal. 5:22-23).
In case you missed it, my recent post, Hope is Alive, continues the story.
[1] K. Kelly (s.d.) Living Life in Ministry, To Be God’s Echo by Women’s Ministry – Accessed January 15, 2020, through https://womensministry.lifeway.com/2017/08/28/to-be-gods-echo/
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 