Joanna felt a direct connection to God, but, despite her upbringing, she couldn’t persuade herself to believe in any particular religion. As she matured into a strong woman, she was offended by the fact that most religions were begun and run by men, and that women were never treated as equals. She studied the Bible, but found that some of the sections, particularly in the Old Testament, treated women in a disrespectful manner, and she understood how some of those beliefs were used over the years as a justification for subjugating women.

However, in the New Testament, she was touched by the suffering of Jesus’s mother, Mary, and the faith she showed when the angel Gabriel came to her to tell her she was going to have a child. Because Joanna also experienced supernatural occurrences, she could appreciate how lonely Mary must have felt when she was mocked and treated as an outcast. An unmarried pregnant woman is still shunned today, so imagine the criticism Mary had to endure! She also loved Joseph because he embodied the concept of a man who trusted and protected both his wife and child, though in the natural, other men must have considered him a cuckold.

But the woman who really spoke to Joanna was Mary Magdalene, because it was through her that Jesus was able to demonstrate one of the primary lessons of forgiveness. In many ways the story about Mary Magdelene was similar to the one about the woman who was accused of adultery. He drew the line in the sand, and encouraged those who were without sin to cast the first stone. Of course that meant no one could throw a stone. Forgiveness was difficult, and sometimes it seemed impossible, but if everyone in the world practiced it, then there would be much less pain and suffering in the world.

Before Joanna left for college, she decided to confide in a pastor to whom she naturally gravitated, who seemed to be a learned and patient man. She was convinced he would listen to her situation carefully and advise her. Much to her astonishment, he not only listened, but also confided to her that he, too, had a similar ability, and said it had been both a blessing and a curse in his life. He warned her that she would be tempted to use her ability for personal gain, and that it was a dangerous thing to do.

“Joanna,” he admitted, “I know this because I made that mistake, and I suffered for it. I am indeed grateful that I was visited one day by an angel who led me to see the true meaning of this gift, and that I should be guided by a simple and honest prayer.”