Far from done due to other details I need to confirm but this is the part I
remembered.  This happened yesterday.

The Leaf Of Life


By Phil Scovell



     Her email said she was thinking about riding a horse in the
woods and Jesus wanted to take her some where but she was afraid.

     She had been diagnosed a few years earlier with a Borderline
Personality Disorder.  That generally means they don't know
exactly what you are, psychologically speaking, and the diagnosis
can therefore possibly include, or not include, bipolar,
schizophrenic, multiple personality, and a number of other
psychotropic disorders.  Borderline Personality Disorder sort of
covers a whole lot of things without being responsible for
anything specific.

     We had prayed three times before but with disastrous results
two out of the three times.  In fact, I had been doing my disciple
ministry, and Bible teaching, in our talks rather than conducting
intercessory prayer sessions with her due to her unfavorable
result.  This time, I felt something was different.

     I reached for the phone after reading her email but my hand
stopped in mid air.  I sat and thought for a couple of minutes.
Her children weren't at home because they were with their dad this
weekend.  This would mean she would be alone.  Not good.  I had
tried finding someone in her area to whom she could go but money
was a problem, for one, and few ministries offered free services
or ministry by donation.  I reached for the phone a second time
and dial her number 900 miles away.

     When she answered, I began talking with her.  She was crying
and afraid.  Most of her lonely weekends without her children were
like that.  The drugs didn't help all that much either.  I asked a
few questions about the horse and commented on what she had
reported about feeling that Jesus wanted to take her somewhere.  I
just started praying around the things she had mentioned and asked
the Lord what was going on.  Soon she described being in the woods
with one small horse and Jesus standing near her.  She could not
climb on the horse because she was too little.  This was typical
of her life and the failures she had experienced which created
impossible barriers for her.  I prayed.  Jesus picked her up and
sat her on the saddle.  He then began leading the horse through
the woods but, she reported, there wasn't a bridle on the horse.
She said that the horse was just following Jesus and He, Jesus,
didn't need to lead him.  My mind immediately went to one of my
own places of deep healing.  Jesus, at the end of the prayer
session, walked me into the field next to our home with two red
kites.  Soon, in the same spot my father had taught me how to fly
kites before he died, I was flying kites with Jesus.  Later,
several days later, in fact, I realized that my kite had a string
I was holding and controlling to keep it aloft.  The kite Jesus
was flying had no string.  Now, here was this woman on the other
end of the phone, on the back of a horse with no bridle and Jesus
was leading him through the woods with the little girl on his
back.

     Soon, as we prayed, they approached a large stream.  Jesus
took her off the horse and they both sat and removed their shoes
and socks.  It was clear he wanted to cross the stream but the
little girl said she was afraid.  I prayed.  Jesus took her little
hand and began slowly helping her make her way across the stream.

     Half way across, they came to a small pile of rocks that
served as an island in the middle of the stream.  The water on the
other side was rushing.  The rapidly flowing water frightened her
and the wind picked up and she thought she might be blown off the
small island they were on.  Leaves fell and were caught in the
wind and many fell into the stream.

     Suddenly, the picture froze.  The wind went away and the
water stopped moving.  I had experienced this with other people
when things stopped or they felt blocked, and frozen in time.
Sometimes it was demonic in nature so we prayed some more.

     Taking her hand again, Jesus began slowly walking her across
the still water.  A large maple leaf lay on top of the water as
they traversed the rest of the stream.  Crying, she told me that
for some reason, she wanted the Leaf.  I prayed and fully expected
the Lord simply to say, "You can have it little girl."  Instead,
to my surprise, and her's, Jesus said, "Little girl, every thing I
have belongs to you."  If you are unfamiliar with Biblical
covenants, including the new covenant we have with God through the
finished work of His Son in our behalf, this statement will have
little, if any, meaning to you.  To me, on the other hand, I
nearly jumped out of my chair with joy.  The woman cried even
harder at the news because she had never experienced the love of
Jesus with that much power and depth before.

     Back on the small island of rocks, she had said that she knew
she was supposed to get to the other side of the stream and when
she did so, she would have all new clothes.  This had meaning for
her because her mother had always forced her to wear what she
wanted her to wear.  This made her hesitating about going
forward.

     Another thing that made her hesitate besides the rushing
water and blowing wind, was her two pigtails.  Her mother always
tied them very tight and they hurt her head.  Jesus gently untied
them and set her free from the discomfort.

     Upon reaching the opposite shore, the little girl was
carrying her large leaf and she suddenly had new clothes she was
wearing.  Looking back, she was worried about the horse.  I
prayed.  Jesus told her they would go and check on him.  They
crossed back over the stream with no problems and soon they were
walking through huge trees with leafs changing to beautiful colors
and falling to the ground.

     Soon they came to a valley.  The horse was in the valley but
seemed to be running away,  but Jesus assured her that he was her
horse and he would always be around for her to ride.

     I have purposely left out all the things I prayed throughout
this prayer session with this woman.  Why?  Because what I think
isn't important.  Needless to say, Jesus destroyed lie after lie
that tried to stop this woman from receiving what the Lord had
planned for her.  The parts you have read about were the places of
healing that may take years of Christian walk to recognize the
spiritual impact she embraced with the Creator of the universe as
we prayed that day.

     I told her that she likely will never see a leaf about
without remembering exactly what Jesus said to her.  She told me
that the back of her hand looked like the large leaf with its
veins.  That's how close to Jesus she had become.  Is it over?
Not until Jesus comes or we die.  Otherwise, it is a perpetual
walk with the Lord as He leads the way.