The Clean Sweep - Inside and Out

(Part 5 of my Freedom Story)

…March 14, 2020 was my last day in KC after being there for 3 weeks. It had truly been a mass overhaul and major detox for my body, soul, and spirit after having my awakening moment Feb. 6th. So much had happened in these 21 days I couldn’t even wrap my head fully around it…I just knew I’d gotten a lot of freedom and healing…especially after the 3 days of deliverance sessions. So much breakthrough had happened and so many things were broken off of me. 

My body was finally feeling stronger and healthy again after getting sick the first week there. My spirit was also feeling stronger and encouraged from the words the Lord spoke to me, and I finally felt ready to go back to ATL. I still didn’t know exactly what my next steps were going to be regarding my marriage, but God had spoken so clearly to me during this time, and I knew He would show me. 

I boarded the plane in KC that day, and had a friend lined up in ATL to pick me up when I landed. When we got to the apartment, she walked me up to the 2nd floor, and there waiting for me on the doorknob was a large cluster of helium balloons welcoming me back. I opened the door, and there hung 2 more large clusters of helium balloons filling the small dining area. 14 balloons total…I was unmoved. 

I’d seen this pattern of love bombing from him for years….but now my eyes had been opened even more to see what was going on. This grandiose display of “love” was even more thick now because we were separated again (he had to move out while I was gone), and this was merely an attempt to get me to take him back. 

Gifts of flowers, cards, empty words, and gestures that had no true substance were the norm for 5 years, but this time, it had no hook in me. I ignored them and got ready for bed, planning to go to church in the morning. 

The next morning after waking, I remember sitting at the dining room table and feeling awful. I was weak and my whole body was aching head to toe. I didn’t understand. “Lord, why don’t I feel good??? I felt good and strong when I left KC??” I asked. …As my eyes stared randomly at all the balloons hanging in front of me, I heard the Lord say, “It’s the manipulation.” 

…my eye’s widened and I instantly knew… it’s the balloons!! My body was feeling the effects of all the control and manipulation that I never realized before because I had just been cleansed and set free from all of it! I had been the frog in boiling water for 5 years, and so used to living in it, …but now that I was free, I felt it! 

I just couldn’t get over how quickly I went from feeling good to feeling horrible…literally overnight! I immediately knew I had to cleanse the apartment and get the rest of his things out of there, but I barely had the energy to stand up. I couldn’t do it alone. 

I reached out to my friend who had picked me up at the airport and thankfully said yes to helping me. She was such a God-send, and exactly who I needed at this moment...tender hearted, kind, compassionate, full of empathy, sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and not judgmental. 

As we went through the apartment, anything that had a manipulative “pull” on my emotions or a tie to him, was removed…along with anything we sensed was “unclean.” Miraculously, just 4 hours later, it was all gone! …All of his belongings, the bedding, my favorite blanket, pillows, etc…all gone. And so was all the pain in my body! 

The wild thing was, 2 weeks prior in KC, I had received a prophetic word of this exact thing happening! The man in the Prophecy Rooms did not know me or anything about me, and saw a picture of me with a broom in my hand, sweeping out the dust and the grime from the kitchen floor and shooting it out the front door. 

…He went on to say that Jesus was standing next to me and He had a broom also and was helping me. “Jesus was real excited because He was endorsing this clean house. It was like somehow you had already found the will of the Lord and you were acting on it, and the Lord was putting his gold star on it saying “I’m with you and I’m helping you do it.” 

The other wild thing was no one knew Covid was about to hit in a few days and shut down all the stores. Now that I had no bedding, I needed to try to find something, so I had gone to Ross and Marshall’s a few days later and not only found new bedding that I loved, but Jesus blessed me with matching bathroom towels, drapes and even wall decor with words of life to comfort my heart! …and all of it was in that blush pink color that He had been giving me in for the last year! (see my 12-22-24 post for more on that color). It was amazing!

Sure enough….just 2 days later that same Marshalls and Ross was shut down for the next 6 months! It was crazy! But it showed me how much God was truly with me and helping me right down to the tiniest detail. 

In the midst of such a heartbreaking time, the Lord was so gentle and kind to bring comfort not just to my heart, but to my mind and my body by surrounding me with beauty and truth. 

This is who He is…He is Beauty and He is Truth. He is truly close to the broken-hearted and those crushed in spirit, and is passionate about fighting for and protecting the oppressed. 

If you or someone you know is in an oppressive/abusive relationship, know God is for you and with you to help you! Seek His will and direction, and He will be faithful to show you the next step! You are loved!