Facebook memories brought up this post I wrote 5 years ago. And I wanted to share today, because it matters just as much as the day I wrote it. I am SO passionate about my personal relationship with Jesus. And SO passionate about the importance of gathering in-person. If He says something is important, there’s a reason for that, and a Truth we can experience for ourselves.
My daughter in the car this morning: “I want to see a scarecrow, Mommy.”
Me: “Ok, maybe we can go to the library and find a book about scarecrows.”
Her: “We’ve been reading books in school about it. But it’s not the same. I want to SEE a REAL scarecrow! I want to know if it’s really scary or if it’s only scary to the crows!”
So my to-do list now includes somehow finding a scarecrow for my daughter to see. 😉 I love her heart that earnestly seeks after something real! She understands even at this young age that there’s a difference between reading about something, or watching something on a screen and actually experiencing it.
I attend Bible college on Saturday evenings. They have an online option for out of state students as well as for weeks our schedule really conflicts. And that availability of technology is wonderful, but there’s a HUGE difference in what I get out of the class the weeks that I can be there in person versus the weeks that I’m watching a video. The teaching is the same. I’m hearing the same words. But when I’m there, I’m interacting. I’m immersed. I’m connected to the people in the room with me. We feed off each other’s energy. There is a palpable enthusiasm in the room!
For many years Jesus was just a story character to me. A wonderful character. One I still put hope in to take me into paradise at the end of my life. But it wasn’t until about a year ago that he became REAL to me. My FRIEND. A partner to do life with. A counselor when I needed advice.
There’s a HUGE difference between ritualistically going to church on Sundays, reading the Bible and devotions occasionally, and murmuring rote prayer requests, versus forming a RELATIONSHIP with God. I didn’t get it before, though. How is this even possible? I mean, this isn’t like a long-distance relationship. I can’t even FaceTime him from afar. He doesn’t call me on the phone so I can hear his voice. I don’t get letters in the mail from heaven. No emails either. So how can I have a REAL relationship with him?
I don’t know when exactly it transformed into that to be honest. I think it has come out of desperate prayers and pleas for him to take over for me. From trust in deep waters that I have gone through. Through seeing him care for me in my times of need through family and friends and church members and people I didn’t even know. Through watching him open doors for me that I had been banging on for years to no avail. And ones I hadn’t thought to knock on too. Through the knowledge he pours into my heart when I earnestly ask him for wisdom and seek his will in prayer and bible reading. Through seeking to make my heart more like his so I can know him more.
I am well aware that to some I have become a religious nut. But religion has nothing to do with it. It’s the RELATIONSHIP that has drawn me in! Our relationships are what matter most to us in this life. We would sacrifice all else to save them. And once you experience a relationship with Jesus, it’s just the same.
Just like my girl, I’m no longer satisfied with a book. I want something REAL! I want to share something real with the world!
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