Knock. Knock! “Who’s There?”

“Therefore, my people will know the power of my name, and they will know in that day that I am the one who promised them, saying, ‘Behold, I am here!’” (Isaiah 52:6 TPT).

Jesus does not come into our memories to punish us or the people who are hurting us. Nor does He come to prevent wrongdoing. (He adheres strictly to the free-will principle God placed over us in the beginning.)

But when we invite Jesus to come and be with us in our dark places, He can show us what He sees. And we can understand how He feels. And He can help us forgive. And when we forgive the perpetrators, Jesus gives us the power of the Holy Spirit, diffusing the negativity that has come forth from that memory.

Yes, the negative power that has followed you and affected you all this time, is suddenly dissolved by Him. It’s almost as though it never happened.

Oftentimes Jesus is knocking at the door of our fragmented hearts, but we are hesitant to let Him in. We especially do not want Him to enter into our most wounded places. One, we don’t want to “relive” these traumatic memories. Two, we are too embarrassed for Him to see these things.

Such was the case with Jodie, who wanted to heal select memories of mother and father abuse but was hesitant to let Jesus come into the “worst” memories—those involving the sexual sins her father had committed against her, starting at age six. Her excuse: she had long since forgiven her father for those horrid acts.

In my spirit, I knew Jodie was still holding a lot of anger about the things that her father had done to her. I kept encouraging her to let Jesus come into one of those traumatic places.

“What if you go to heaven and your dad is there? What will you do? What will you say to him?” I felt a strong prodding of the Holy Spirit to ask.

“How could that be?” Jodie argued. “God would not forgive him for these things.”

Jodie knew the truth about repentance, but where it came to her father, she had never allowed herself to believe God would forgive that much.

I dropped it and went on to assist in the healing of several other memories. One occurred after Jodie’s junior-high-school graduation.

In that memory, Jodie was wearing a new pink dress. All the parents were gathering around the graduates for hugs and pictures.

Jodie kept looking around for her parents, who had been in attendance. But for some reason she could not spot them.

She waited and looked, but there was no sign. Did they leave without telling her, figuring she could walk home alone?

Jody was holding “disappointment,” “embarrassment,” and feelings of “less than.” Her head was hanging low. At that moment, she called Jesus to come.

Jesus came and took Jodie’s hand. Immediately, they walked straight past the throng of kids and parents and departed for home, a short walk down the street. Jodie couldn’t quit thinking about how her pink dress would have been perfect for pictures. “I know your disappointment,” Jesus said. “I will never leave you or disappoint you.”

Jesus walked with Jodie all the way to the front porch of her house. Would she let Jesus enter? No, there was too much going on in there. She would be embarrassed to let His pure eyes see. She said goodbye to Him, bolted through the door, and locked it behind her.

Don’t Be Afraid to Receive Him There

Knock, knock.

“Who’s there?” It seemed logical to ask, though Jodie knew it was He. Her insides were tied up in a tight knot.

Dare she let Him come in?

If Jodie opened the door, she would have to be more up-close-and-personal with Jesus than she had ever been before.

Was Jesus the only One who could remove all the blocks preventing her from walking in true life and freedom? She knew the answer was “yes.”

Jesus had not made her feel unworthy of His love in the other memory healings. Was she ready to let Him see all the “worst” stuff she had been hiding? Was she willing to take another chance?

Jodie unlocked the door and cracked it open ever so slightly. A cool and refreshing breeze streamed through, a gentle presence that instilled hope—hope that a broken little girl like herself could be restored back to purity and innocence.

She swung open the door.

Jesus stood before her as a strong tower. “You can run into me to be safe,” He said.

Jesus picked Jodie up and held her close. Suddenly, they were in her room where her father was waiting.

This time, Jodie’s father’s plans were foiled. He fell to his knees in shame and repentance.

In the “rewriting” of this memory, Jodie witnessed the love Jesus had for her father—despite all the things he had been doing. Then she understood how her father’s own wounds (and the demons attached) had held him prisoner to a perverse mindset all those years. Jodie forgave her father, at the same time giving Jesus all her anger and shame. Instantly, He restored her childlike innocence. It was almost as though the abuse had never occurred.

As a sidebar, Jodie was able to see both her parents looking directly into Jesus’ eyes. They received His forgiveness. Then they held one another and walked away with Him.

Jodie’s need to be correct and perfect, along with her feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, were healed. She has walked in freedom for over four years!

With God, there are so many possibilities!

“Arise and shake off your dust! Sit enthroned, Jerusalem! Break off your shackles of bondage from your neck, you captive daughter of Zion! For this is what Yahweh has to say: ‘You were sold for nothing; now you will be redeemed without any payment’” (Isaiah 52:2–3 TPT).

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you]” (John 16:33 AMP).

“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment” (Luke 1:37 AMP).