July 18. Jerry Moldenhauer. Jerry loved Jesus Christ, and he loved a young woman. Today’s story is not dependent on the kind of job Jerry had or the place he lived. It is equally relevant for all of us who have ever loved someone who had issues of their own. Take a listen. On this date in 1987, Jerry prayed for Paula on Loveland Pass.
Called to protect those we love, stand in the gap.
Beneath a full summer moon, at the top of Loveland Pass, Jerry sat on a boulder. He had thought Paula was the one God had given him. He had planned for a happy home, not a brutal break-up. Now, nearly a year later, he could not stop praying for her.
As he climbed in the moonlight, the tension grew. He had taken her pictures off the wall. Praying for her drew the pain to the surface. But he did not pray God would give her back. He prayed God would give her His best.
A few months later, Jerry walked into a crowded church service, and there she was. He felt queasy, but collected himself and said, “Hi.” Paula looked conflicted, too. He had to get out of there. The relationship was over, but he had given his heart away completely.
Paula had come to town for a wedding Jerry was videoing the next day for mutual friends. The morning of the ceremony he ironed his shirt, packed up the camera, and wondered incessantly if he should really talk to her. At the chapel with its long windows that framed a mountain vista, he focused the camera on the bridal procession, the vows, and the kiss. But he was consumed by Paula’s presence. Later, at the reception, Jerry noted where she sat as he set up his equipment. Should he talk to her?
“Now,” God said.
It was the first time Jerry had heard God speak in an audible voice, and he asked her to talk with him after the reception. His whole body felt light.
Later that night, in a nearby park, they sat together on top of an old picnic table. Denver lights twinkled below as they talked in the crisp October night air. Friend-to-friend. Paula’s heart was one huge, painful bruise. And finally, Jerry understood why he had been compelled to pray.
A year and a half later, Jerry married Paula—emotional bruises and all. Over time he understood that Paula was being emotionally, spiritually, and verbally abused by a family member. And he had been called to protect his wife—not only her physical body, but also her heart.
It was tricky. He needed to respect her family, and she had to be ready for change, too. It hurt to see her hurt. Jerry did his best to counteract the soul-shredding lies she believed.
Paula could not accept unconditional love. Performing for love was all she knew, so Jerry focused on showing Paula he loved her for who she was, not for what she did for him. He guarded his conversation and prayed for opportunities to speak truth. But often he talked more to God than to Paula about what he saw. Sometimes she could not receive it. Not yet.
Jerry continued to model God’s unconditional love, which empowered Paula to begin to accept herself. One day she wrote in her journal, “I am awed at … Jerry’s … total acceptance of me even as my sin, failure, and ugliness lay bare between us.… He saw beauty and treasure where I saw only failure and decay.”
The healing took years, but gradually Paula grew stronger. When their children started to be affected by the abusive family member, Jerry supported Paula as she told the person—until things changed—they would only communicate through a counselor. Eventually Jerry helped her understand God wanted her to protect her heart, too, not only the hearts of their children.
“Guard your heart with all diligence for from it flow springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23 BSB).
How do you protect the hearts of your loved ones? Called to protect those we love, stand in the gap.
Based on an interview with Jerry Moldenhauer.
Would You Like to Learn More About This Man?
For more on her journey out of spiritual, emotional, and mental abuse see: Soul Scents: Flourish, Paula Moldenhauer, 2016, Free to Flourish Publishing.
Story read by: Blake Mattocks
Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter
Audio production: Joel Carpenter
Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/
Project manager: Blake Mattocks
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