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FOMO

November Running Thoughts

Spiritual FOMO

I am always challenging my motives for doing something.   Like, why do I write these Running Thoughts?  After serious introspection and sincere self-challenging I have concluded that I write these out of love.  Yes, love for you the reader and for God, our Maker. He has me writing these thoughts because He intensely loves you, yes you.  Matters not if you agree or accept, He does.  Ask Him, you will see. Let Him hug you, cmon, do it!

On with November:

Have you ever heard someone say “I guess you had to be there” when trying to get a laugh or a rise out of you when explaining an experience? Something we have undeniably seen or felt or come to know that I cannot get others to see  likewise.  It can be a lonely place to be, frustrating, when others ‘just had to be there’ to understand.   I so very often feel that way.

Where is ‘there’?

In the mysterious spiritual realm, missing out can have present day implications or missed opportunities and  also, eternal consequences.  I have become increasingly more aware that we/you cannot have fear of missing out on something we  are not aware of. We don’t know what we might be missing, so we miss out.  Sort of a spiritual Catch-22.

I am sure, the writers in the Bible would feel the same way….

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:1-4  


WOW, I guess you had to be there!

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Mark 9:2-

WOW, I guess you had to be there!

 

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  Peter 1:16  


WOW, I guess you had to be there!

 

These and many others, were real people, like you and I.  They  were eyewitnesses of Jesus in the flesh and they are desperately desiring for others to see Jesus in the Spirit.  Like today, right here, right now.

Come and See

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of zareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
John 1:45-46

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
John 4:39-42

You’ve heard it said that “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”.  So it is with the writers of the Bible and with people such as me who are attempting to entice and invite others to come and see, seek and find, taste and see.

The invitation, to  “come” is to all and is something you must accept/ do, or resist doing.  The “see” is unknown until we come.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter  Corinthians 12:2-4 

That man was Paul himself… his eyewitness testimony.  True whether we believe him  or not.

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”  Revelation 1:9-12

That man was John himself… his eyewitness testimony.  True whether we believe him  or not.

And  so, my writings are always meant to be a ‘come and see’ that which I have personally discovered. They are less of a teaching and more of a testimony.  And, like with Paul or John, you can believe me or not.

I know a man…

  • Who grew up in a nice , loving home, where God was not a word absent from the family  conversations or family practices
  • Who before his drug days had a vision of what looked like Jesus parading through his bedroom one Christmas morning. “Mom, Dad, I just saw Jesus!”   Maybe it was too many candy canes, maybe not!
  • Who experienced the separation of his Mom and Dad.
  • Who made up for loneliness or dismay by getting the attention of others, by any means. One who wanted to be accepted, if not liked.
  • Who lacked direction so followed or lead others into inappropriate, unhealthy activities.
  • Who, despite having many acquaintances who might like him, did not have many who truly loved him.
  • Who wanted to understand life and found it of little or no meaning. Why not just jump off a roof, it’s all so meaningless, meaningless?
  • Who had a High School history teacher give him his personal bible “some day you might need this”.
  • Who was smart enough to scholarship into college but messed up enough to find it a waste of time and money, so quit.
  • Who had a great Mom and siblings who desperately wanted Dad back.
  • Who worked closely with his Dad, who, despite leaving the family, was actually his best friend. “You OK, Bo?” was Dad’s first concern whenever his son messed up.
  • Who had a true-confessions dinner with Dad before attempting to head back to college.
  • Who talked with Dad about his struggles with drugs and other challenges, and asked Dad why he had left the family.
  • Who left that true-confessions dinner happy. As they were leaving, Dad exclaimed, “Tonight I got to know my son,” and the son replied, “Tonight I got to know my Dad.”
  • Who 2 days after that intimate conversation with Dad, found out that he had dropped dead!
  • Who was devastated by his father’s death, yet grateful for the timing of their dinner together.
  • Who met a young lady from the past (dentist aide, one failed date) at the wake who had an uncle being laid out at the same funeral home.  She was a nice distraction emotionally
  • Who received a “wellness check” from this young lady a few days after the wake. Along with food, she brought a Bible her aunt had given her, hoping it might help him.
  • Who decided against returning to college and went back to work where he, Dad, and his siblings had worked together.
  • Who decided to try to read this Bible that was given him.
  • Who did not understand what he read.
  • Who was visited by two coworkers at his desk while reading his Bible during lunch.
  • Who was asked by the first visitor, “What are you reading?” “The Bible,” he replied. “Do you understand what you are reading?” “No, explain it to me.” And she did.
  • Who, five minutes later, before turning a page, was visited by a second coworker. “What are you reading?” “The Bible,” he replied. “Do you understand what you are reading?” “No, explain it to me.” And he did.
  • Who went home that night and decided never to take anyone else’s word about this Bible. If God actually existed and wrote the book, He ought to be able to explain it to him.
  • Who asked a maybe-God to do just that. And God did—with no lights or flashes—and a new life began.
  • Who remained intent to discover God on his own. To not rely on hearsay, or to have God described or prescribed.
  • Who sought God all he could, at times just pulling off the road to read and pray.
  • Who discovered God was knowable and began a relationship of exploring   and discovering that  continues  till this day
  • Who ultimately married that young lady from the funeral home and led her to discover God as well.
  • Who experienced an overwhelming presence of God on the night before the wedding…”Is this whom I am supposed to marry?” It was as if He literally hugged him with a “YES”
  • Who would spend hours in the Paramus Park parking lot (yes, a long lunch!) where one day when thinking and praying about the shepherds in the field at night in the Christmas story, had a large 50+ flock of white birds surround his car.
  • Who recognized this flock as God’s special visit.
  • Who had a wonderful honeymoon, free in Hawaii because the young lady, Tree, had won a contest at work. Returning to their towels on the beach, they found these words clearly written in the sand: “Jesus Loves You.”
  • Who recognized this writing in the sand as God’s special visit.
  • Who was blessed with five beautiful children, including Stephanie, whom he and his wife lost before birth.
  • Who recognized each child as a gift from God.
  • Who experienced the ups and downs of life, at times struggling physically, emotionally, financially.
  • Who, during one season of financial stress, spent time in the backyard praying, if not begging. While reading in the Bible that God knows when even a bird falls to the ground, and that His children are worth so much more, a bird literally fell dead from the sky into his backyard!
  • Who recognized this bird falling was God’s special visit.
  • Who doesn’t have these “special visits” very often, but often enough to remind him that God is always present and attentive.
  • Who continues to this day seeking to know Him more and more
  • Who spends much time interceding for the many, including you.
  • Who has great empathy for people with a desire to bring them real hope.
  • Who continues to sin less while still not sinless
  • Who desires to spend the rest of his days walking with many others into God’s ever-present love, forgiveness, and living relationship.
  • Who is looking forward to many productive days  ahead as well  to the end of days when there will be no more tears, sickness, sin, death. Just loving joy!
  • Who is surprised you read this far!

Of course, this man is me.

These experiences are not meant to certify myself as a spiritual bigshot or a special one. They are simply and actually, my life experiences as I have journeyed to investigate God.  Others and potentially your experiences will be different, unique to who and where you are. The examples will change while the God in the example remains the same in each of the stories.

It is Not my intention for My Running Thoughts to be some sort of diary to document my life, to impress or depress others. No. My thoughts are a sincere, if not desperate attempt to draw people to ‘go’ and then ‘know’ He who actually Is and Is God!  It is sincere because I have come to know by experience that God is everPresent, is knowable, is merciful, full of grace. That He is love and that He actually and actively loves all who call Him Father, those who by believing have their spiritual blindness healed and  can now see, see Him.  Those who  can exercise and discover that all of His promises are forever and always true.

I’m not asking you to believe everything I’ve experienced. I’m inviting you to discover for yourself the God I’ve come to know.

If these thoughts leave you with a spiritual fear of missing out, good! This is my intention.  Not because God is hiding from you, but because there is so much more of Him to discover. And you don’t have to take my word for it.

Come and see

Please Go and then know

Love yas…Happy Thanksgiving

TG

 

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