Debbie Smith’s Reflection

The Nights the Holy Spirit Came to Visit

As many of you may know, I’ve had some rough years with knee pain.   This year in February, I had to have the knee replacement I had in January of 2024 taken out and a temporary spacer put in in its place.  You see, the first one broke and the knee had infection in it.  That infection caused an abscess.  The whole situation led to a 6 ½ hour surgery.  My recovery took me to Friendship Village where I began my rehab. My leg was in an immobilizer, and I had a PIC line.  I was dependent on others to help me do most things during my day.  Mostly I was depending on God.

One of the nightly musts was a 2:00 AM wake-up for the night nurse to run my IV antibiotic.  After about two weeks, it became my nightly habit to play praise and worship music on Spotify to drift off to sleep after being waked up for the IV.  One night in March, I decided to listen to the Piano Guys for a change.  After one song from the Piano Guys, a song began to play.  I had never heard the song before, but I was singing along word for word.  I was covered with a perfect peace and joy that words can’t fully describe. My eyes were closed, and I was shocked that I could sing a song I didn’t know.  I became aware that it was my spirit singing through me as the Holy Spirit was in the room.  That song was “Counting my Blessings”.

This was a glorious experience.  I felt as if the room was glowing and that it was bright and lighting up every inch of my room.  I decided to peek quickly, not wanting to break the peace and joy I was feeling.  There was not a visible light.  As I quickly closed my eyes, I heard a voice telling me that if a person was walking by on the street they would know something big was happening in my room.  Wow!  I realized I was hearing the small still voice of the Holy Spirit.

The praise music continued as did the peace and the joy.  Every six or so songs, Matt Maher’s The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours) would play.  This version of the Lord’s Prayer holds deep meaning for me.  My heart was full.  I realized during this time of worship and time with the Spirit that I was on Spotify and that this set of songs was not one of my playlists.   Again, I must mention that this time was just full of glory, love, and peace.

I had no real sense of time as this was happening.  I began at some point to breathe in deeply saying, in my head, “I am breathing in the healing power of God and breathing out this infection.”   I was so relaxed and full of peace and wonder.  I have no sense of the timing, but somewhere in this breathing in the healing of God, the still small voice said, “It is gone, Debbie.”  I just was stunned that this was happening.  The time of peace and joy, the Still Small Voice, and all the glory —I didn’t want it to end.  Then like He had come to be with me, He was quietly lifted and gone.

I opened my eyes.  It was 4:30 AM.  It had been 2 ½ hours of praise and worship with the Spirit.  Wow, double wow!  I quietly drifted off to sleep feeling held by God.  I woke up two hours later.  My thoughts raced about how time had gone by in a way I can’t explain.  Would I ever again be blessed with such a visit from God?  Would He reveal himself to me though the Spirit like this ever again?  I couldn’t wait to share this with Paul.  He listened and could see it had been a very special visit.

So all through the day my deep desire was to have more time with the Holy Spirit as I’d had that night.  As I readied for bed I prayed, “Holy Spirit come again.  I am blessed by your glory, peace, love, and joy.”

My brain told me that it is not likely to happen again.  Oh, but it did!  The second night it lasted two glorious hours. So there you have it the sharing of the nights the Holy Spirit came to visit.  He visited me, Debbie Smith, the gal who was healed of that bacterium. Praise Him!