Resources

About a month ago, as I was driving along a Georgia road after a day of work, my mind was fixated on the vehicle in front of me. All of its parts, the tires, the bumper, the muffler, the glass, the radio were all produced then combined together to create that vehicle. All complex things that we take for granted but nevertheless, a very amazing feat in human ingenuity was driving there right in front of me. Indeed, it’s something we see every day but only came about within the last 150 years. What I realized is that every component of that vehicle no matter how complex in design or process, whether man made or natural, came from the Earth.

If that is the case, then technically, everything that was ever made, or will be made, manufactured, created or engineered was already here, throughout all of history. It was a matter of digging the resources out of the ground, processing them, applying them, combining them, using research and development to merge them into a useful thing. The same resources were there 4000 years ago as they are today. In this way, all things ever made and will be made or could be made are already able to be here today. The elements that bring them into being are knowledge, understanding, work, and creativity. There is a mind behind all that.

Which brings this verse to mind in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

There is also a spiritual parallel to this. Jesus said he would send us his Holy Spirit. The Spirit is a resource that is always available. The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:16, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” What I want to point out is he says to “walk in the Spirit” as if you are already able to; the resources are already there. Later he talks about the fruit of the Spirit as, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” It’s not forced on you it is a resource, a walk, a way of life that you have the power to choose. If you want patience, ask for patience and walk in it because it is readily available.

I have a friend who had a conversation with an acquaintance who said, “I have to try to be a good father” but my friend did not reply with, “well, I’m sure if you try hard enough it will happen.” Instead she responded with, “if the desire is there you will know exactly how to be a good father, there is no trying, it’s just BEING a good father.” She blew my mind with that because I had somewhere in the back of my head resigned to think it had more to do with luck in the cosmic lottery how well you did in life.

The resources are there and have always been. What it comes down to is recognizing where to get those resources and choose to dig them out of the ground, process them, refine them and apply them.

Faith Over Fear

A few days ago I was driving along the highway in Northeast Georgia and took notice of the brightly colored flowers that were growing in the median. As I only had a few seconds to just glance over to see them I noticed that there were at least 3 or more different species of flower that was growing of all different colors and structures. I thought about how seeds and cells of animals all know exactly what to become: what there shape is, texture, color, scent or in an animals case, how many legs it will have, fur or hair, skin or scales. Needless to say, I was amazed at how these little seed or cells are barely anything yet they have all they need to become something specific.

As I pondered these things, I indirectly asked God how that's even possible. Just then, as I inhaled, I felt as though a small amount of air in addition to what I was taking in was blown into my lungs through my nose. It was slight but noticeable. So noticeable that I was freaked out a little by it.

I continued driving and stopped for a bite to eat a few minutes later. As I sat in the parking lot I was still left with the impression as to what had just happened a few minutes earlier. Then in that little voice you "hear" when you know God is speaking to you, (some of you know what I mean) God said, "they know what to do because I breathe my life into them."

The whole experience felt very real. It felt as though I had met God on a plane or dimension that we normally never(or rarely) see or experience. A confirmation of what Paul says in Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." It was clear to me that God's breath is in all living things and I was thankful that He showed me in such a powerfully subtle way, but I missed that experience I had which seemed like a live encounter with God and wondered if I would ever have that again.

So, last night I spoke to an old friend about it on Facebook. He shared a similar experience with me. He said that he felt this heat wash over his body and what he believed to be God, just as I did, say to relax and let it happen. He said he felt like he got healed of something but didn't know what. I found that very fascinating.

I told him that it upset me how I freaked out and the experience went away. Another example of this that I gave was when I think about eternity or infinity or space and my mind seems to leave the walls of time and space and drifts into places that seem so far from the natural world I am accustomed to. Then I stop because I can not comprehend those things so easily. But I want to go there. I want to know if you can stay in that experience longer and see or know something on a deeper level.

My friend had reminded me of the story of Peter when Jesus asks him to come out of the boat to him as Jesus is standing on the water. Peter steps out and for a brief time is standing on the water. Then he "freaks out" like I did and starts to sink. My question was, "what if we don't freak out but let it happen?" Is not allowing it to rush over us because of fear cause the feeling to go away? I pray that next time it happens I am ready for it because I really want to see where God will take me.

Does this mean that as a Christian I only pursue these kind of experiences? Absolutely not! They serve to make my faith stronger and deeper but I must chose to do what's right each day and continue to learn to love like God does. On the other hand, without these kinds of experiences it makes one's journey with God a little less lively.