On our first day of ministry in Harlan Kentucky we spent the morning at Horizons Adult Health. By providing daytime care, Horizon Adult Health allows people to continue working while their loved ones receive daytime care.
As we walked into Horizons my first thought was how quiet it was. As our team fanned out around the room each of us attempted to connect with someone that we could spend the morning with. I noticed some people sit down and begin doing crafts with some ladies at a table in the middle of the room. I walked around the room and talked with a few people but didn’t seem to make any real connections.
After what seemed like an eternity I heard this young man, or what appeared to be a young man talking with another member of our team. He was telling them about his birthday coming up in November. I asked him how old he was going to be. He told me that he was going to turn thirty six. I was surprised because Jeff is mentally handicapped and has a very youthful look. Despite Jeff’s mental challenges He was very sharp, he just processed his thinking at a younger age. I instantly knew that we had a connection. He was thrilled when I told him that we were the same age and even showed him my birth date on my license.
I talked with Jeff for about an hour and a half. As we talked Jeff shared about how much he loves Jesus. He related how he loves to play in the band at Church. As our conversation progressed he revealed that he felt like he had lost the Holy Spirit and how that made him feel sad. He expressed that the devil had taken the Holy Spirit from him.
I sensed that he sincerely believed this. So I looked at a verse with Jeff, 1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
when Jeff heard this verse he responded by saying he knew that Jesus was stronger than the devil, but that he had let the devil take the Holy Spirit away from him. We looked at another passage, Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” We dialogued about how God is always with us and that He will never leave us. I then offered to pray with Jeff. We prayed that the truth of God’s word and the promises that we found there would be felt in Jeff’s heart. After we were done praying Jeff Said that he felt better and more at peace. He said that he wasn’t going to let the Devil take away what God had given to him.
