Pain in the promise – Part 1

Imagine being forewarned about the detriment to your well-being and not being able to do anything about it … but brace.

This is the story of Nickshia Baylis, who shared that despite enduring much pain and discomfort in various areas of her life, an encounter with God one morning revealed that she had even more to suffer.

Recounting the details of this visit, she said, “On June 2nd 2019 Sunday morning, I missed church service as I had a vision - an intimate one-on-one moment with God. I was in heaven, the scenery was a glowing, blinding white. I saw flames coming from a bush nearby but it wasn’t burning, it immediately reminded me of God’s first encounter with Moses. I then heard the sweet voice of God speaking from the bush and He said, ‘You are going to suffer for my name.’

I began crying and asked, ‘Haven’t I suffered enough?’ He responded with ‘long suffering.’ My heart shattered to pieces having lost everything… cars, business and my mom tragically in 2014.”

Baylis told Family and Religion that she went from the vibrant party girl, socialite and common-law wife of a local celebrity to the girl who was now used as an example to many that one can lose it all in a split second.

Her vision continued: “I felt I had my fair share of suffering. Yet, here I was in the presence of the One who could turn it all around and He was telling me there was more to come. A warning as the Lord will always be faithful to the ones He calls His own followed by words of comfort and promise that He would see me through. As I continued to lament, the Lord then said ‘Always remember Saul became Paul, and never forget Job.’

Immediately the vision switched from day to night and I found myself in a dark, gloomy sewer filled with rats screaming on top of my lungs ‘How did I get here!”

Baylis shared she was convinced something was indeed heading her way as she was familiar with the way in which the Lord speaks to her so she began to pray.

Accepting that there was nothing she could do to avert this ill fate, the concerned mother of two said she begged God to put whatever it was on her shoulders and to spare her children.

“Three days later, June 5th, 2019, late that Wednesday night I sat on the phone with a friend sharing with her how afraid I was living in these times with the recent outbreaks of more robberies and killing. We got off the phone, but I was still feeling afraid and I laid my head on my pillow, looking out the window thinking of the possibilities of someone out there to get inside my home while I slept. As such, I fell asleep praying, ‘God you are a God that never slumbers nor sleep, and while we have no control over our homes and bodies when we rest, You do. Please cover us as we lay our heads to sleep.’

A few hours later, I felt a push on my shoulder an intruder had broken into my home,” Baylis revealed.

Describing what she had opened her eyes to, she said, “Standing above me dressed in camouflage, his eyes piercing in the dark as his face was covered and a knife in hand threatening to end my life if I made a sound. I was the 12th victim of the Portmore serial rapist and one of the few to have escaped without full penetration.”

Find out next week how Baylis escaped the intruder and overcame the internal battle of faith that pursued the dreadful encounter.