Memoir | Gia, the Friendly Spirit | Part I of VI

The friendly spirit arrived unexpectedly and took up residence within me.

Isn’t that fascinating?

I hesitate to share my secret, fearing others may deem me unhinged.

It’s a conundrum for me as well.

Who could have predicted that I’d become the host to a benevolent spirit?

This new spirit appears to be a divine spirit that inhabits my spirit and connects me to God and Jesus after being baptized in Jesus' name.

My old spirit was sinful. I smoked, drank wine, and sought love by giving my precious body away. Oh, I was wicked. Yes, my flesh still seeks love, but I have learned to “…crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Holy Bible, King James Version, Galatians 5:24

My new spirit is unlike the malevolent entity that possessed the fictional character Regan MacNeil in the renowned film “The Exorcist.”

Instead, my spirit is more comparable to the whimsical cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost.

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I christened my spirit, Gia, a name that harmonizes with mine.

A charming name, wouldn’t you concur?

Gia, the spirit, guides me. She communicates with me in a manner that alerts me if I’m straying off the righteous path. She instills a sense of unease about wrongdoing. However, I often resist her advice, succumbing to my earthly desires, especially the allure of romance, which invariably lands me in a pickle. But hey, I adore men!

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Let me share my story to provide some historical context, which might help you understand when Gia, the friendly spirit, began inhabiting my spirit and how I’ve reconciled with her existence.

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The Assault

One day, a male friend assaulted me.

I retaliated so fiercely that he was carted off in an ambulance to the hospital. However, I was the one who ended up being arrested and handcuffed for causing him severe injuries. It seems ludicrous that I was the one apprehended when he was the aggressor.

The Nightmares

Sleep eluded me after the incident. I was plagued by nightmares. I kept the lights on throughout the night, mentally trapped in the moment of the assault.

I needed mental help.

The Church

I sought mental assistance and turned to the only place I knew could provide it — the church.

I remembered the ancient biblical tales and the fervent Friday night prayer sessions held by the devout “Saintly Matriarchs” in the projects.

I recalled the Lord’s Prayer carved into a wooden plaque that was mounted at the top of the stairs in our humble project home.

I couldn’t afford to see a psychiatrist. Besides, my mother had always cautioned us kids against mind-altering drugs, which she believed a psychiatrist would prescribe.

The Baptism and The Friendly Spirit’s Arrival

Upon entering the water, its icy embrace enveloped me as if I had met my demise within its depths. It wasn’t until later, after immersing myself in the scriptures, that I discovered my old spirit had perished in that baptismal pool. It was my spirit that had died, not my physical body, which was still full of sin, and I had to learn to crucify it daily.

I was filled with the sacred Holy Spirit, also commonly known as the Holy Ghost!

All my fears stemming from the assault dissipated instantly.

No more nightmares, no more lights burning throughout the night, and no more feelings of loneliness in my apartment. I moved forward in life, free from worries or fear of another attack.

I experienced a profound calmness that felt utterly illogical, and it must have been a sign of divine intervention!

Gia, the Friendly Spirit Lives in Me

The Comforter resides within me, the Holy Spirit, or as I like to call her, the Holy Spirit.

Gia, the Holy Spirit’s Divine Mark of the Holy Spirit

Gia, the Friendly Spirit, is always with me, serving as a seal verifying that when the rapture occurs or when I die, I will be identified as a daughter of God and taken to eternity to dwell with God, the Father, and His son, Jesus!

The Dream

Following my baptism and receipt of the Holy Spirit, I had a dream that affirmed my transition from the darkness of this sinful earthly existence into the light of Christ Jesus.

In the dream, I found myself leaving a dimly lit apartment party where I felt unliked. Directly opposite the party’s apartment was a door from which a beam of light was escaping through a crack. Upon opening this door, I found a group of people engaged in a Bible study, a time dedicated by Christians to learn the teachings of the Bible and understand God’s purpose for our lives.

Epilogue

The male friend who assaulted me was incarcerated for a different crime.

A buddy informed me that he had a scuffle in prison, and his eye was severely damaged.

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Holy Bible, New International Version, Romans 12:19

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(Copyright © 2025 by Mia Z. Edwards. All rights reserved.)