Here's something I don't share very often, but I thought the time is nigh to share it here and now.
I became a Christian in 1982, after searching for God since about 1972 (various religions, philosophies, beliefs, churches, etc.).
I committed my life to following Christ after a pastor at Valley Rd Church talked about the need to weigh up the cost before committing to following Christ.
I weighed up the cost, decided, and became a Christian.
Either that night or perhaps the night after, as I lay in my bed, I smelt a strong, overwhelming and luscious fragrance in the room...
No rational explanation for it at all, and I take that memory of that fragrance with me as some kind of proof of the presence of God with me...
As the man healed by Jesus said, when questioned by the Jewish priests, "All I know is that I was blind, but now I see!"
All I know is that that fragrance was there...and the next morning it faded away.
No one else could smell it.
And I didn't keep flowers, and I had not spent the night with Lois (and anyway that was not her perfume).
A bit of a touchstone for my faith, I think...a memory that will never die.
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What a wonderful treasure to hold on to. Sometimes in the busyness of life these special moments get pushed to the back of our minds and forgotten. Maybe that is why the Jews were heavy on symbolism: continuing reminders of God's provision and blessing towards and presence with them. I think I need to spend more time remembering.
ReplyDeleteHey sir!
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd come on and share my thoughts on your super fantastic blogging going on lol(laugh out loud if soph hasnt already filled you in :))
I especially love this entry. Do you remember after Miss Kims wedding when you dropped me off home, and we had that nice little chat about church and faith, because at that time I didnt belong to any church, well yeah I just wanted to say that the advice you gave me that night really helped me alot! LIKE ALOT! Lol not only are you a music teacher, but youre a shrink too! O.C is very lucky. haha
But yeah Im still young in the gospel and learning new things everyday, some more perplexing than others, especially how Abraham offered his favourite son Isaac?? When I read the Old and New Testament, sometimes its like reading a different language, but I have my faith. I am grateful everyday to have lived another day on this earth serving our Heavenly Father. Its weird that I feel this way now as to when I was still your student and couldnt give a toss.lol bt i guess its life.
I hope youre well my beautiful high school music teacher, know that you and your family are in my prayers. :)
ps-still trying to get my hands on the Eric Bibb Tall Cotton album lol
Hi, Adrienne. Symbolism, yes, very important...as often it speaks eloquently of things that we find very hard if not impossible to comprehend literally.
ReplyDeleteThe cross is, of course, one of those phenomena which is both "reality"/temporal as well as being symbolic.
In my counselling session yesterday I talked with Rebecca sbout the need we have to make "constructs", no matter what our situation, and also how the arts play a vital part in providing transcendental symbolism, giving us the ability to see beyond the "meat and potatoes" of everyday life.
Love,
Gerald.
Hi, Christine, and welcome to the blogsite (where "all are welcome"!!)...
ReplyDeleteYes, I do remember the night of Miss Kim's wedding - how could we forget?
Reading the bible - there are some terrific translations "out there"...the first time I read the Bible right thru, from Alpha to Omega, as it were, was in the Good News translation, which has great little drawings in it too!
Another reader-friendly translation is the Message Bible, translated/paraphrased by Eugene Peterson (tho personally I find his rephrasing of the Book of Psalms a little too colloquial and unpoetic).
As to growing in the Gospel...well, it's a never-ending journey (in this world) and none of us will come to the end of searching and exploring the many, many mysteries of God.
Enjoy the journey, and take a few friends with you!
Thanks so much for the encouraging comments - they do my heart a world of good.
Love,
Gerald (NOT sir!!!)