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.

A Hay in the Manger

Occasionally I find myself sitting around thinking weird thoughts (which I think I've mentioned before).  At least I think they're weird.  Maybe some of you think like this too.  Lately I've been thinking about hay - and the manger in the whole story of Jesus' birth.  If hay could talk (or think for that matter)...

Imagine you are hay.  You've been growing out in a field, enjoying the sunshine and occasional rain shower.  You're getting taller and stronger by the day.  And then someone comes along and cuts you off at the knees.  Just like that.  Life as you know it is over.  You're thrown in with all the other freshly cut hay and hauled off - away from your glorious sunny field.  You're crammed together with all the other hay and stored in a dark cool place, laying there left to wonder what could possibly go wrong next.  Some time later you find yourself in a stable (or maybe its a cave) being thrown in a pile with all of your now very close friends.  (Hay, like people, grow close and form bonds when they are thrown into difficult situations together.  I'm sure of it.)  You're not aware what this place is until you look over and see that there are animals everywhere. Panic sets in.  You've heard the murmurings of your friends as they passed on what they'd heard happens here.  You start to put it together and realize the end is near.

Suddenly the atmosphere shifts.  A door opens and light appears.  The animals sense the change too.  They stop their incessant chewing and look over as a woman and her husband enter.  The man gathers up some of your friends to form a place where the woman can lay down.  She is about to give birth.  Some time later, after all the tension and worry and crying out and labor is over you are gathered up and placed into the manger - the feed trough.  This time though you are not being placed there to be dinner.  You have been chosen as a place of rest.  You become aware that you are in the presence of glory.  How would hay know this?  It's simple.  The whole earth cries out for His return today so when He was placed upon you on that first day, you knew Him.  After all you came from the earth.  By this time all the animals are gathered about mooing, bleating and neighing in a glorious chorus of a lullaby.  You are content.  You are chosen.  Your mission is complete.  You have seen Jesus and nothing else matters.