By Beth Maillho
•
January 27, 2026
At the end of every appointment, I have my clients pick a Scripture verse, I call it their “anchor verse” for the week. They pull a random card from a deck of 100 with beautiful angel paintings on them, each with a unique Scripture verse on the other side. It's usually how the Holy Spirit puts the exclamation point on our time together. Well, this experience with the Scripture verses had me jumping out of my chair! It unfolded slowly, involving five of six clients in a row over two days. It started with a male client when he pulled his anchor verse. “A friend is one who loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17 It confused me at first, trying to understand the difference between a friend and a brother. We talked about it a little bit and how it applied to his life. My next appointment was with another man. He pulled the same Bible verse even though the deck had been shuffled. Interesting... I now understood the verse a bit more, that a brother born for a time of adversity is the person who enters into the battle with you. They are a next-level friend. They are your Battle Buddy , part of your army platoon. I feel like I am this client’s Battle Buddy, and even said to him in full excitement, “Let’s gooooooo!” Appointment #3. I shuffled the deck, and yet, he pulled the exact same Bible verse! Holy Spirit, what are you doing?? I started paying closer attention. What are the odds of three in a row? This was the last appointment for the day and gave me much to think about. The next morning, I came in early and freshened up my office. I shuffled the deck, chuckling to myself. Appointment #4 with a couple. Time for the verse. The client read Proverbs 17:17. Again! I couldn’t believe it. The Holy Spirit was clearly at work. I said, “I’m your Battle Buddy, you are each other’s Battle Buddy, and we are going to fight for this marriage.” Appointment #5 was my first appointment with a new female client. It was time for her to pull a verse, and she… broke the streak. Her verse was the Bible verse for WayMaker Ministries, which is Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you … a future full of hope.” It was the perfect confirmation not only for her story, but for my calling. I know these Scripture cards aren’t supposed to be about me, but God does speak to me through their verses at times. Appointment #6 was a male. I didn’t expect anything at this point. Silly me. He. Pulled. The. Same. Proverbs 17:17 verse! I just couldn't believe it. I told him everything that had happened over the past two days and explained the verse. I was his Battle Buddy, and more importantly, another prominent person in his life was his life-long Battle Buddy. “Grief work!? Let’s gooooooo!” (My clients and I have a sense of humor together at times, even with grief work.) Here’s another wild fact: four of the five who pulled that verse share a similar experience that specifically related to the Battle Buddy image. All five were men. Holy cow! Or rather Holy SPIRIT! What are the odds of that happening? Next to none. The odds of having five out of six clients pull the same verse out of a deck of 100 unique cards is 1 in 16.8 MILLION!!!! Think back to the image of the Battle Buddy. Ultimately, Jesus is our true, life-long Battle Buddy. He walks with us in adversity, in grief, in confusion, in hope, and in love. I get the privilege of walking arm-in-arm with my clients into their battles BUT with Jesus as Captain. But wait, there’s more! Just when I thought the story was finished, God added one more confirmation for me. The following weekend, I attended my annual Holy Spirit women’s retreat where a woman prayed over me. She hesitated before sharing what she saw, thinking she’d lost her mind… “I see you on your belly doing an army crawl, arm over arm, under barbed wire. Does that mean anything?” I almost fell over. Yes! It meant everything! She saw me in the battle! I’m still processing what the Holy Spirit is doing not only in my clients but also in me. Watching the Divine Counselor at work is breathtaking. His love is fierce, intentional, and relentless. He is the ultimate and constant Battle Buddy. Y’all, we hit the Jesus jackpot. We are Jesus millionaires!
