XLVI

THOU WILL KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE

(ISAIAH 26:3)

SEVENIA SALLIE (GIRL PROPHETESS)

My brain whirled with chaotic thoughts as I drove to the Storm residence. It reeled from the heavy conversations with my Uncle Six about his murdered wife and their hedonistic lifestyle. Now Destiny wanted me to accompany her and Brock to see a young lady named Talia.

She was a stripper, or maybe, I guess, a former stripper now. Destiny had been ministering with Talia for months. It seems she had attempted suicide and was hiding from an abusive boyfriend. I had only met her once, but apparently she wanted to see me. I prayed and put Isaiah 26:3 into practice.

“Hey, kiddo,” Brock greeted as he let me into their house. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” I said, a little surprised. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh nothing, you just seem a little distressed.”

I forced a smile and shrugged.

“Hey, do you know what you call a grizzly with no teeth?” he asked.

“What?”

“A gummy bear.”

I laughed, and then for some reason felt like crying. Before I did, I hugged him. “I love you, Uncle Brock.”

“Well, I love you too, Sweet Pea,” he replied as he gently patted my back. “Thanks for coming with us.”

Brock isn’t really my uncle, but he’s my dad’s cousin. The weird thing is, he looks more like my dad than my dad’s twin brother. Only Brock is much bigger, burlier, and rougher looking than my dad. Except his eyes. Brock’s light brown eyes are warm and calm while my dad’s eyes tend to be serious and intense.

“I’m glad to,” I replied. “But I don’t really understand why Talia wants me to come. I only met her once.”

“In all honesty, it’s Dee.”

“Huh?”

“Dee wants your Godly atmosphere in situations like this.”

“She does? What about her own? She has led so many troubled girls to Christ.”

“But you’re the girl prophetess,” he grinned as he spread his massive zero fat arms.

“It makes me feel uncomfortable when people call me that.”

“You’re just being humble.”

“But Dee is one of my mentors.”

“You’re one of hers.”

“What! I’m only seventeen.”

“Seventeen going on,” Brock said and looked at the ceiling as he rolled a hand. “Well, a much older age wisdom wise.”

“Wisdom wise?” I replied with a frown, and then smiled. “Thank you though.”

“Hi, Sweetie,” Destiny blurted as she galloped down the stairs of their old farmhouse. She gave me a fierce hug and kissed my forehead. I hugged her back, realizing I would do anything for this woman. What Brock just told me made me feel both humbled and honored. “Ready to roll?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied meekly. “I guess.”

“Let’s pray first,” Destiny said and the three of us bowed our heads.

I would have felt uncomfortable driving into the neighborhood where Talia was staying with a girlfriend if Brock weren’t with us. The address Destiny was given was the top half of a rundown duplex. Talia opened the door and greeted us with a timid smile. Her hair was dyed jet black, and she had a big bandage around her right wrist. The room smelled like cigarettes, coffee, and sausage. We sat around a greasy kitchen table and Talia explained her situation.

“I didn’t actually try to kill myself,” she said with a tired sigh. “Chad, my boyfriend, was trying to pimp me out. This creepy old rich guy was on his way over to our place to have sex with me. If I tried to leave, he would have beat me. If I stayed and refused to go to bed with his Jon, he would have beat me. In desperation I slashed my wrist. I tried to balance my cuts between not enough to kill me and enough to have to go to the hospital. He’s still going to beat me when he finds me, but at least I bought some time to possibly get away.”

“Come stay with me and my husband,” Destiny said as an order. “We’ll help you get away from this abusive boyfriend and start a new life for yourself.”

“You don’t understand. Chad will find me eventually. He’s a big, mean guy. He won’t take my disloyalty lightly. I can’t put you guys at risk.”

“You haven’t met my husband, have you?” Destiny asked.

“I don’t believe so.”

“He used to be a high paid bodyguard. Come to the door with me, Sweetie.”

Destiny called Brock on her phone. The three of us went to the door. Brock got out of his car and ran up to us urgently. “What’s up?”

“Oh, yeah, um, Chad is almost as big as your boy, but not ripped like him.” Talia said.

“Plus my guy is a martial artist and he has guns.”

Brock frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Honey, have you met Talia?” Destiny asked her husband.

“I don’t believe so.”

Destiny made introductions.

“Honey, Talia is on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Would you mind if she stayed with us until we get her life situated so she can have a fresh start?”

“Of course not,” Brock replied as he gave Talia a friendly smile. “Do what you have to do. Talia, trust me, it wouldn’t be the first time Dee had someone in your situation stay with us. If you’re at our place, no one will hurt you. ”

“We’ll help her gather up her things then,” Destiny said happily with a clap of her hands.

“I’ll be back to help you carry stuff down,” Brock said. “But I need to call Captain Kirk back. We were in the middle of a conversation when you called me.”

Talia watched Brock in awe as he walked back to the car with the grace and power of a lion.

“Is he for real?” Talia inquired.

“What do you mean?” Destiny asked.

“Well, he’s built like The Rock, but he speaks more like he’s Mr. Rogers.”

Destiny laughed. “I’ve never heard anyone compare Brock to Mr. Rogers, but I see your point.”

“Does he have the, um, meanness in him to handle someone like Chad? I mean if it came to a confrontation.”

“Oh, trust me. When there’s danger, Brock has a switch. I wouldn’t call it meanness though. Confidence maybe, or aggression.”

Destiny proceeded to tell Talia how Brock had saved her from being raped and possibly murdered. Then she told her how they became reacquainted a decade later and eventually fell in love. (Their story is documented in the e-book by Johnathan Embers called ‘Knight Storm.’)

“So he’s never hit you?” Talia asked with a puzzled expression.

Destiny looked stunned for a second, and then a look of warmth appeared in her eyes. “No, never! I’ve never even thought once he might even be capable of doing me harm. Just the opposite. Brock’s always made me feel safe.”

“That’s the way it should be,” Talia said quietly as she quickly swiped at tear.

“And I hope he makes you feel safe during your stay with us, Sweetie,” Destiny said with a gentle smile.

Although I didn’t feel like I contributed much to rescuing Talia, a powerful lesson was driven home to me. It was witnessing just how much Destiny and Brock were a team. How much their love for each other and mutual love for God strengthened their souls.

I had been tempted to discouragement. I was still having flash backs to my attempted rape just a few months ago. Today as my mind spun taking in Talia’s situation, and before that being my Uncle Six’s confidant, I kept longing to be at Cottonwood Creek. Listening to the rippling water and talking with Branch as we watched the sunset.

I had been so wishy washy with Branch, and he had been so patient, never pressuring me. People call me a girl prophetess simply because I’m wholesome and have an interest in Bible prophesy, especially the books of Daniel and Revelation, along with religious history. Yet pride can be insidious. All the time I thought that I should be independent and that I don’t need a partner in life because it might impede me from doing all I can to minister to others was arrogant. Yes, to be solo in ministry might be right for some, but I was discovering maybe not for me.

“Lord, I’m sorry,” I whispered as I sat in my car after exiting the Storm residence. “Help me to be emptied of self. Please give me wisdom and direction.”

I took a deep breath and sighed. I opened my Bible. I could not count the times the Lord has shown me something I needed for the moment as I opened his Word. In seconds, Ecclesiastes 4:9 seemed to jump out of the page at me. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

After pondering this verse for a minute, I turned to Genesis chapter 2 knowing what I would find. My eyes went to verse 18. ‘The Lord God said, it is not Good that man should be alone.’

“Me neither,” I croaked as I texted Branch. I had my own chance at having a Brock Storm and I was blowing it!

I grinned from ear to ear when I read his reply two minutes later.

‘I’d love to meet you at Cottonwood Creek.’