Going to Heaven

I spent the last 3 days surrounded by amazing awesomeness at a conference hosted by our TSSM school featuring Graham Cooke and Christa Black. Google them.  Get to know them.  God is using them along with lots of us, you included, to change the world.

And it continues.  Today I had an epiphany as I told a friend the story of one 5 minute extraordinary experience that occurred over this last 3 days.  Christa spoke to us on Tuesday afternoon about purified imagination and toward the end of her talk she had her amazing "studhubs", Lucas, come up and lead us through a very cool experience of "going to heaven".  There were 3 prompts.  1) Picture Jesus.  2) Receive what He's handing you.  3) Ask Him to see your garden.  This is what happened:

I immediately saw Jesus standing before me as a Shepherd - long white robe, long hair, beard, holding a staff.  No brainer.  As He approached He again handed me a scepter.  I say again because He has handed me this same scepter at other times during Soaking.  (I think He's trying to get me to "get it".  I need to sit with that awhile.)  When I asked Him if I could see my garden He instantly became a gardener, dressed in bib overalls and a red plaid shirt (which He just revealed to me as I journaled that He dressed in red because He knows it's my favorite color...sweet!)  As He led me away He put his finger to His lips and said, "Shhh, it's a secret".  (Another reference to how well He knows me - my favorite story is The Secret Garden.  Again, sweet!)  As we were walking along an ivy covered wall we came upon an old wooden gate.  Jesus reached in his overall pocket, pulled out a big skeleton key, placed it in the enormous keyhole, glanced over at me with a wink and began to slowly open the gate.  He swung it aside and grandly gestured for me to enter.

At once I was astounded.

Here I was in my garden.  I was surrounded by brilliant color.  Each flower was a letter of the alphabet.  Leaning in to look closer I realized the leaves were paintbrushes and crayons and markers and pastels and colored pencils.  I turned to Him and asked, "What the heck is all this?"  And I remembered.  He told me once that I would paint pictures with words.  And today I know.  This is where I will write.  Here in my garden with Jesus tending nearby probably whistling my new favorite song, "The King Is Here".  And I am amazed at His extreme goodness.