A Gentle Nudging at the Right Time
KIA STEPHENS
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“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever …” John 14:16 (NIV)
“Did you eat anything today?” I asked my mom as we chatted on the phone.
“I didn’t feel like eating,” she responded. It seemed strange, but it’s a common thing people say, so I wasn’t too concerned.
The next time I called her, however, I discovered it had become a pattern.
She didn’t sound like herself and ate little or nothing at all. My husband questioned whether I needed to check on her in person, and initially I said no because we had a trip planned for the end of the month.
That same week, I felt a gentle nudging from the Holy Spirit that the end of the month would be too late — I needed to go now. Early on a Thursday morning, I found a flight and flew to Texas to check on my mom.
I found her disoriented, severely dehydrated, and battling an infection. I arrived just in time to get her to the hospital.
The Holy Spirit continued to warn, guide, and help me as I was thrust into the role of caregiver. Although I felt ill-equipped and overwhelmed, I was never alone.
Jesus made this promise to His disciples as He prepared them for His crucifixion in John 14:16: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever …”
Because Jesus deeply understood the disciples’ confusion and worry upon hearing that He was leaving earth, He offered them comfort. He was not leaving them without help — God the Father would send them the ever-present and all-powerful Holy Spirit. The Greek word for “advocate” in today’s key verse is parakleton. It means “one who comes alongside to help or aid.” It describes a counselor, intercessor, comforter, and friend.
Jesus, though God, was clothed in flesh and had His physical limitations on earth. Yet the Holy Spirit dwells inside those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ — He is God with us always, even when we feel alone.
As the only child of my mother and father, I think about the fact that I am physically alone as their caregiver. But I know Jesus’ words are applicable to me in every circumstance I face, as proven on that emergency trip to Texas.
He was with me on the flight, in the car, and in the hospital room. He helped me take on more responsibility for my mother, and He continues to comfort me as I adjust to the aging process that is inevitable for everyone.
When we face hard things, we can take comfort in the reality that we are never alone.
Heavenly Father, help me to remember the Holy Spirit is with me and I am never alone. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (ESV).
How has the Holy Spirit guided, helped, or warned you? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2025 by Kia Stephens. All rights reserved.
Originally published Wednesday, 17 September 2025.
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