In the jail service, as we made our way to verse 6,

“Don't cast your pearls before swine.”

The Holy Spirit startled and struck a 27-year-old woman with a barbed arrow that pierced her to the core.

She has spent ten years in a marriage where she poured herself into her husband but he took all she had to give, but never gave an inch.

Now he is in addiction, her 4 children have been placed in a family members care, and she has a restraining order against her.

Of course, these stories are huge and we just get a peek into them,

but this verse hit her hard.

She began to try and explain but was absolutely overcome with anguish and sobbed and cried as she helplessly asked,

"How can they tear your own children from your arms? How can they do that?"

And her inner pain was violently expressing itself in her body as she writhed under the grief.

I felt her pain to my core and the six women there did as well.

You know, I guess I always think the women tell their stories to one another, but not so, no one there knew her story but the sympathy poured out from every heart and mouth there.

I was in CHURCH!

Every person there had experienced, to some degree, this anguish and loss.

To watch this group of women that came in distant strangers, turn into the caring and consoling arm of the church left me in awe.

Each woman took a turn to do their best to encourage her, while all the time Stardust, with uplifted hands, was repeating

“HOLY SPIRIT, HOLY SPIRIT” as she prayed continually.

The tears flowed so much, by so many, a few of them had to leave just to compose themselves, and then they'd return again.

We emptied a box of Kleenex!

As I left, I was in that kind of melancholy surreal state where my soul feasted on what God had done all the way home.