STANDING IN WONDER

Melissa and I were talking yesterday, and I shared with her something that had happened this last Wed, June 17th on my lunchbreak from school.  After I told her, she said how cool it was, and that God had told and shown me quite a few things this last year or so. She said maybe I should think about writing them down so as not to forget[which I thought was a good idea]and so here I am.  First of all, this year I decided to give my life to Christ.  I have carried around the "head knowledge" of the good news of Jesus all of my life, without ever really realizing what it meant to my life and my personal relationship w/God.  I never really "got it" until 2008-09, and once I gave my heart to Him, a few very interesting and cool things happened.  First of all, I was working part-time at a local grocery store to help make ends meet.  One day out of the blue, a guy around my age or slightly younger walked up to me and said he had been walking through the parking lot when God suddenly impressed it upon his heart to come over and tell me He[God] was thinking about and loved me.  That was it.  He wanted me to know that God wanted me to know how much He loved me.  And then, he told me to have a great day and walked away.  That was it.  I was a bit taken aback and flustered, but after chewing it over for a minute I felt energized and joyful. Not a miracle perhaps but a pretty cool moment nonetheless, and it definitely warmed my heart - I immediately felt the spring return to my step[I hated that job!]and left that evening in a good mood with a refreshed outlook.  

     A couple of months later, Melissa and I went to an Art Fair in the Marietta Square.  It was a really good time, a beautiful day, and I walked away w/a bag of some of the best fresh-roasted candied almonds I've ever had!  Before we left though, we took a walk down an alleyway and found a really cool little place near a doorway w/some brickwork and cobblestones and, since we had our camera w/us, sat down to snap some candid shots.  While we were finishing up, a blond headed-boy/man[he looked between 16-20]came up and started talking with me.  He asked me if I was a Christian[or told me?], and I told him that I was indeed.  We chatted for about 10-15minutes, and during the course of conversation, he told me that there was something really special about me, and that God had big plans for my life.  He said I had a purpose and a calling on my life, and although he didn't know what it was, he told me to just be obedient to God and know his joy[I'm paraphrasing a bit, I can't remember word-for-word, just bits and chunks].  Then, he gave me his number and told me to call sometime if I ever just wanted to get together and have coffee or something.  I never did call him, I guess I was a little freaked out at the time......I still think about him every now and then and wonder what would've happened if I'd called.  

     The next one was a bit more interesting, and honestly gave me the willies[in a good way]when it happened.  It was shortly before Christmas 2008.  I had been out Christmas shopping, grabbing a few last-minute things for Melissa.  I drove home, unloaded the bags of stuff I'd bought into my closet, and sat down to write a blog on my MySpace page.  I was in the Christmas spirit[the real Christmas spirit NOT the "Santa Claus and Elves" thing....]and began to write about the beauty of God's gift to us.  I mean, He borned His Son into our dirty, sinful, human world so that we might eventually[after we'd abused, harrased, discounted, doubted, scorned, and mocked Him]know salvation and eternal life.  Thusly, I concluded my blog with John 3:16["For God so loved the world......"]and went back to my closet to collect the things that needed to be wrapped.  I picked up the first bag, a bright yellow plastic bag from a popular and secular clothing store and focused my attention on some small, fine print on the very bottom of the bag[not anywhere you'd see it if you weren't looking for it].  As my eyes adjusted to the words, I couldn't believe it - there it was, clear as day: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeith in Him should not perish, but have eternal life".  I just about jumped out of my skin, I was so tweaked out!!  And, I was home alone!!  I actually felt like God was staring right at me, letting me know He was there w/me all along, and all the time[!].  Truly, unbelievable.  Could it be coincidence?  Maybe to you, but definitely not to me.  No way - I was there, and it was a really, really cool and personal moment.  I still get the goosebumps a little when I think about that one....!!

     Which leads me to my final and most recent story.  Two days ago, I got in the car and drove across the street on my lunchbreak.  A new Sears Outlet store had just opened up and I wanted to check it out.  When I got there, I wasn't done eating my packed lunch yet so I parked out in the far middle of the parking lot by myself.  I was the only car out there, and I was listening to some Christian music I had burned onto a CD a few days before.  I watched a taxi cab pull up slowly in front of me, and roll down his window.  He never stopped completely, just slowed down, dumped something out of the window, and kept driving.  Whatever he dumped out was in a bag and he kind of poured it out as he rolled by.  When the bag was empty, his window went back up and he kept on driving until he was gone.  All of a sudden, a few birds came down and started eating whatever he had poured out.  Then, a swarm of birds materialized and joined in the feed.  It was incredible!!  I'm talking, hundreds and hundreds of birds directly in front of my car eating whatever this disappearing cabbie had poured out before me.  As the music inside the car played, and I watched this flock, I[there's really no other way to explain it]felt God talk to me, in my own mind.  He told me[as I stared at these birds]"see these?  I will provide for you just I do them.".  Then, I became aware that out of all of these birds[I think they were pigeons, but I honestly don't really know]there was one white one.  All the rest were dark in color except this one, white bird.  I felt God tell me "see that one?  You are that one - special and unique to me, as is everyone.".  And, that was it.  That's all He said, but those few words said soooo much.  In fact, it really touched on some personal notes with me, and made me aware of His love and closeness.  I literally felt as if He was right there with me, real enough to touch.  Unbelievable.  He is so amazing, and so loving, and so deserving of our praise and unwavering loyalty.  I thought it was so very cool how he impressed upon me that I am special and unique to Him, as is everyone.  We all are.  He loves each of us as if we are the only one, and that is the coolest thing I think I've ever heard in all of my life.  I made me realize a deeper connection to Him, and to each other.  It allowed me to feel fulfilled, and humbled at the very same time.  I guess that's where I'm striving to live, and maybe that's why and what He was impressing upon me.

     Melissa reminded me[after we'd discussed these occurrences]that I'd been wishing and asking for Him to reveal Himself to me.  I'd heard other people's stories of ways that God had made Himself known to them in a palpable way, and they always bolstered my faith and left me hoping for something similar in my life.  As we looked back and recounted these different situations that have taken place over the last year or two, she helped me realize that God had indeed reached out to me and left me with some cool stories, just as I'd hoped.  He is my desire, and constantly proves Himself to be cooler than I even thought possible.  Honestly, I'm just eternally grateful to belong to Him.