A Partial Presence

Jesus' patient hand reaches down to save you!

In the EMDR work I am doing with my Christian therapist (you can read more about that by clicking here), I have been truly amazed at how God shows up for me! Frequently I have experienced what I refer to as a partial presence. The unique sensation has varied from feeling like someone was holding my hand, standing close to me, putting their hand on my shoulder, holding me, or even smiling at or delighted with me - all the while there was no one to be fully seen. I truly wish with all that I am that I could do Him justice in my explanation, but there are simply no words to accurately convey the beauty of my intimate experiences with Him!

The still, small voice of the Holy Spirit is similar. I have heard the Holy Spirit speak to me but there is not an audible voice that I could commit to memory; like I could my husband's or kids' voices. Yet I know that I would recognize the Holy Spirit's voice without question! Only God and His divine ways could communicate to me so mysteriously and intimately. I am in awe of His enduring and gracious love for me! My logical mind tries to convince me that I should be confused, but my heart and soul are relishing the peace of understanding! Have you ever experienced something like that? If not, I pray that you will! Perhaps through the mindfulness of EMDR or another avenue where you can quiet the chaos of life and focus, you will be able to hear His voice clearly also.

As I reminisce about the times I have been blessed by feeling His presence or hearing His voice, it warms my heart and once again I feel the perfect peace that only He can bring to my soul…and it is my heart's desire for you to feel that as well!

When we began my EMDR journey, I didn’t know what to expect and I was truly intimidated at thought of tackling some of the hidden giants in my life. I didn’t understand what or who the partial presence was the first few times I experienced it but then realization came flooding in! I absolutely adore how Jesus wants to ensure that I do not feel alone when facing my giants or tackling challenging situations!

In one of the memories I had been working to reprocess through EMDR, I felt trapped on a school bus. I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get out and just before I started to feel helpless, I saw a hand lower the window and reach in to help me climb out. I knew it would be nearly impossible, but even with that challenge in front of me I felt certain that the hand would ensure my way and provide me with safe passage. The hand was much larger than my hand but so warm and gentle. A welcomed change from the cold metal, glass, & vinyl of the bus! I knew with absolute certainty that the hand would always be there waiting for me to reach out and take. Once I realized who was reaching out to me, I sat in amazement while the rest of the scene just melted away.

Did you know that a similar partial presence is in the Bible? Check out the book of Daniel, chapter 5.

"At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing," Daniel 5:5