God, your wrap-around presence is our defense. In your kindness look upon the faces of your anointed ones.
-Psalm 84:9 TPT-
Jesus Is Protector & Prince of Peace
De’Siree N. Reeves
A stray bullet came through my bedroom window during the night prior. Just before bed , I obeyed an unction to put my earbuds in my ears. As I’m falling asleep in bed, I see image and experiences a sensation of Jesus wrapping his arms around me; and I drifted into a dream in which I’m sleeping close to Jesus at the bottom of the boat in the middle of a storm [cf. Matthew 8]. The next morning, I woke up refreshed from a deep and good night’s sleep which is incredibly rare.
I’m abnormally rested and peaceful; more than I am normally. I discovered my bedroom’s window panes and blinds broken from bullet hole and saw hole in wall near window. Glass and debris is along window sill, all over the carpet, and throughout her bed. I’m completely unharmed and in perfect peace despite getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and returning into the bed, which (apparently) had glass and debris in it.
The week prior, Holy Spirit lead me to start re-reading the book of Matthew. I read the scripture plan for the morning, Matthew 7-8 and Psalm 84, and found the story of Jesus sleeping at the bottom of the boat in Matthew 8. I also find promises of God’s rescue in Psalm 84. Later in the day, I had a virtual lunch with my grandparents who share that their message during online church was about Jesus sleeping at the bottom of the boat, but from the book of Mark. No one has found the bullet yet.
Praise God the Great Protector, Defender, and Rescuer. Thanks be to Him and the truth of His word that goodness and mercy will chase down and capture His beloved each day of their lives. Praise God for being the Absolute Sovereign and demonstrating His great love. Hallelujah!!
God blessed her with this miracle on July 19th 2020.
Relevant Bible Verses
They all got into a boat and began to cross over to the other side of the lake. And Jesus, exhausted, fell asleep . Suddenly a violent storm developed, with waves so high the boat was about to be swamped. Yet Jesus continued to sleep soundly. The disciples woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We’re going to die!” But Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you gripped with fear? Where is your faith?” Then he stood and rebuked the storm, saying, “Be still!” And instantly it became perfectly calm. The disciples were astonished by this miracle and said to one another, “Who is this Man? Even the wind and waves obey his Word.”
Matthew 8:23-27
Because you have made the Lord, [who is] my refuge,Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will command His angels in regard to you,To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
Psalm 91:9-11 AMP
Update from the author (Oct. 5th 2021)
Hey there,
I’ll say it… It’s been a hot minute. If you’re reading this, that means two things. First, a hearty thank you is in order. It’s actually over do. Thank you for your prayers and support since I began the wild adventure of becoming a writer in 2020. Second, I have an update to share with you. But to crystallize it I need to provide some context. So please hang tight.
Gosh, it’s been about one year since I announced the very first iteration of my blog on October 28, 2020. One year is a milestone that I don’t want to take for granted. But I must confess… my blog isn’t as far along as I hoped it would be. The caliber of my writing is far from where I want it to be. I haven’t been the writer I’m meant to be.
But then there’s God’s grace in the mistakes, in the correction, in the discipline, in the mess that’s His kindness in disguise. Grace, grace, and—you guessed it—more grace. I’m uber glad that Jesus sits, ready to channel grace to us that’s enough for whatever we’re facing at the exact time that we need it. As I’ve been discovering what it means to be a writer, Lord knows how often I’ve booked it to His throne with a “Hi, My Name is Dunce” tag pasted against my forehead. Each time God’s been gentle to replace it with “Brilliant” and give me a satchel of whatever I need to try, try again.
During the last few excursions, Jesus has given me some more marbles for my “I Need All the Wisdom I Can Get” jar. (If you don’t have one, I highly recommend it. Holy Spirit loves to dish them out to anyone who asks.)
This word-tinkering thing is a marathon—not a jumbled jigsaw of sprints. Yet I’ve been dashing off to the races with my cart before my horse. Then, midway, I make some discoveries. My cart is actually a little red wagon. Oh, did I mention that it only has two out of its four wheels? And my valiant steed is, in fact, an elderly mule… named Fester. (Yes, I probably should have checked all of that out before charging forward over and over again.)
All kicks-and-giggles aside, I’ve been approaching the craft backwards. I’ve been breaching my writer’s epic from the vantage of God’s mind-blowing promises of where it will be one day rather than where it is here and now. I’ve been trying to run without first learning to walk—attempting to walk before mastering the crawl.
My efforts to tend a vibrant vineyard of media has been admirable. Sure. But they’ve been misdirected too. Why? The vineyard doesn’t yet exist because I haven’t been steadfast with the seedlings!
Neighbor, this over-eager beaver has been doing a lot of learning, learning, and more learning. Keep it simple. And start with the small.
The grandest tapestry is the product of one decadent thread with another. The most breathtaking painting results from countless well-executed brush strokes. Our fearfully and wonderfully made bodies are because of our fearfully and wonderfully made cells that rival the stars in number. Every big thing is an amalgamation of well-stewarded small items.
Now for the announcement. (Thanks for hanging in there!) I’m planning an official website launch for early 2022. The tentative date is January 15th. Before I release books or other content that is yet to be, I need to nurture what is. In the interim, my blog will undergo more renovations and feature fresh content.
I ask for your prayers that God would keep me close to His heart and will, help me, and guide me. That He would be a shield against anything that would undermine my progress. I need His help to be consistent so my blog can bloom, the caliber of my writing reaches its full potential, and I can become the writer I’m meant to be—not merely for my sake, but for the people He wants to encounter and transform.
It won’t be by my efforts, skills, or wits, but by His Spirit. So I’m excited about crawling the marathon right now. With time, I’ll be ready to walk. Eventually, I’ll be conditioned to run. And, one day, I trust I’ll soar like God’s promised.
I’ll keep you posted about developments and ways you’re welcome to support the website launch. Thanks for sticking with me on this journey one step at a time. Your support means more to me than I can express!
Truth-and-Grace,
Des | desreeves.com
P.S. Remember… God loves you. God’s with you. God’s with us.