With the longest government shutdown in U.S. history finally over, there are millions of needy workers and their families asking our Lord and Savior to please not pass them by!
The Holy Spirit told me to share my own story of struggle. It happened about 15 years ago, when I was arrested unexpectedly for traffic tickets.
A ticket had come to my old Maryland address, but I’d been living on 16th and P streets in downtown D.C. for more than a year. The ticket turned into a warrant, of which I had no idea.
Invited over for dinner by my sister, since the other two sisters who lived out of state were visiting, I was feeling good as I drove along the beltway. Pulled over by a Maryland state trooper, as I was praying on my cellphone with my prayer partner. I had no idea that I would have to leave my car and that the officer was about to handcuff me and take me to jail!
Hysterical, I asked the officer to please remove the handcuffs, because my phobia was kicking in. I pleaded with him, over and over again, to no avail. He explained to me about the warrant for a ticket that required a court appearance, which I missed. Why? I was unaware. I let him know that I had moved, hoping he would excuse me and let me go free. None of that mattered.
There was a long weekend ahead of me. It was Saturday evening, too late for anything to happen, so I had to spend the night in a small jail cell. They did come for me late in the evening to go before the in-house court. They put chains on my ankles as if I was a slave or a murderer, I could hardly believe that a traffic ticket violation would get me into this predicament. Walking felt as if my feet were cement, only to hear I had to wait.
En route to Upper Marlboro jail, riding in a patrol wagon, my claustrophobia kicked in severely. I could hardly make it — no windows, handcuffed, feet chained, being tossed up and down my long sideways seat. I screamed, cried, begged to get out! Someone was on the other side, but they were quiet.
Immediately, I began to repeat The Lord’s Prayer. Amid my tears, an angel came to visit me and I calmed down immediately. I continued to recite the Twenty-Third Psalm, repeating various Scriptures. Then I began to this song: “Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling. Do not pass me by. Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling. Do not pass me by.”
During my stay in my next location, I kept getting muscle cramps from lack of potassium and asked for orange juice, to no avail. I told them my feet and legs were cramping — nothing happened. They didn’t allow me to see a doctor, so I continued to walk to keep my blood circulating.
When I was finally dismissed early Sunday morning, my daughter was waiting there to pick me up. What a memorable weekend. It taught me to always handle my traffic business expeditiously.
But the biggest takeaway from my story is that the Holy Spirit will comfort you in your time of trouble, just as it comforted me.
On that Sunday morning, I showered, dressed and went to church. No one would have ever known or suspected what I had experienced. Life goes on!
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, visit her website, www.lyndiagrantshow.com, email lyndiagrant@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on Twitter @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.