(Straight from my prayer journal, sorry for the length)
Hey God. Thank you for meeting me this morning and giving me this vision.
I was on this beautiful path. It had long, flowing grass on each side. The path was hard beautiful white sand or clay. Much like the path to the soccer field in Honduras, or the paths in greek/roman movies like Gladiator. It was slightly foggy, so all I could see was this beautiful path and grass. The sun was shining in a perfect warming sunrise. It was directly in front of the path. With the slight fog it made this amazing glow throughout the entire sky. So warm. Not hot, just perfectly warming.
I ran my fingers through the grass as I walked down this path. I just knew that I wanted to be closer to the sun. Everything was so vivid, so alive and life like. I walked down the path toward the sun, then jogged, then ran, then found myself sprinting in powerful leaps down this path. I didn’t even know where I was going, I just knew it would be good. : )
I came to the end of the path. It was a cliff, jetting out over an ocean. It was magnificent. I didn’t hesitate, I ran harder. Slow motion seemed to set in as I took my last steps, jumping as high and far out from this cliff. It was breath taking, everything, the view was straight magnificent, peaceful and perfect. As well as the feeling, so pure, so free, so awe inspiring, like flying, trusting 100% that I would be fine. I was so purely enjoying and loving it. Every foot I flew was like breathing the purest form of life. I spread out, stretched as far as I could. It was a 70 ft cliff so I had plenty of time to fly.
A beautiful dive. Into wonderful blue, warm water. The kind you swim in for years and never get sick of it, ever. Oddly though it wasn’t ever only an amazing physical feeling, but also emotional, I felt so alive, free, refreshed and relaxed, deep down in my soul, my being felt it. This was some great water. As I was under water I saw the sun glimmering through, always warm, always perfectly tremendous. Gosh it was great. : )
As I poked out of the water I saw Jesus sitting on the shore, making us a fish brunch. He was wearing a smile that said come in and see what I have prepared for you! I swam in, I don’t know how to explain it, I felt so alive and right. Everything he did felt so RIGHT.
He hugged me, but it wasn’t a lost son “I’ve finally found you” hug. It was a best friend, “I haven’t seen you in forever man, I’m so glad you’re here” hug. It was wonderful, we ate the fish he made, laughed and smiled a ton. All the feelings I experienced were warm, always so perfectly warm. I loved it.
We walked along the beach, It wasn’t hot just comfortably warm, just like my feelings. Only him and I, on this beach along the side of this sand colored, massive, gorgeous cliff. He shared so excitedly with a huge grin on his face,
“Jacob, you are blessed. You are so treasured. Everyone up in Heaven is so excited for your life, your everyday to play out. Almost like they are tuning into a television show. This is because so many amazing things happen when one is blessed by the Father and I. That is why I cannot control my excitement. What can I say, I love when my Father’s glory is shown on earth. I wish I could tell you everything that will happen, but that would ruin the surprise.”
I was shocked, It was almost odd, at least unusual how excited he was for my life. I had never experienced anything like it, even from my parents. It was almost like it was his life. In America, no one is ever this giddy over some one else’s life. But then again, this IS Jesus, he is different. Different as in perfect to be around, everything always seems so right, everything he does. I was shocked more about HOW he said what he said, than what he said. The best way I could describe it is if a father wanted to give his son a bike for Christmas. The boy had wanted and yearned for any sort of bike so bad, for so long. The father CAN NOT WAIT to give his boy this present, CAN NOT WAIT to see his son’s face as he opens it. Because the father didn’t just get him a bike, he pulled strings, and saved up and got his son a bike that was beyond anything this boy had, or could dream up. The father was elated to give it.
It was kinda like that, but better. As I looked at Jesus' delighted face, I remembered that our lives were totally intertwined. My joy and delight are His, His joy and delights have become mine. But he was so beside himself, so explosively joyful, because he was not talking about one blessed event on a Christmas morning, but day in and day out a life time of blessings.
He went on, “You will have more hardship and tragedy in your life.” My heart sank, I hate tragedy. I hate that my dad died, I hate the thought of going through something like that or of similar magnitude ever again. He followed up saying, “Don’t worry, remember how the first tragedy turned out. It shaped your life. It was tough, but the joy you have, the intimacy and closeness you now have with me is directly from you relying on me, and overcoming during the hard time of your dad’s death. It is beautiful isn’t it, the amount of life that can come from death, this life even outweighs death and tragedy.”
I thought about it, it really was beautiful where God had taken me, what he had done in me, yet not something I longed to go through again. I could imagine the pain of more loss, more tragedy, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea of being MORE full, MORE alive, MORE joyful, MORE delighted in Christ than I already was. And that part excited me.
He seemed to always read my thoughts because I rarely even talked to him, although he replied to what I was thinking. He said, “Just wait, trust me, we’re just getting started. The blessings to come are immense and frequent. You are mine and I love to guide and and bless my own.”
Boy, was his smile HUGE! : D
