Okay, so this is me with John Eldredge.
Right after meeting with him one on one at his offices here in the Springs. (On Friday, November 6th)
If you can’t tell , I am on cloud 9 at this point!
To borrow a phrase from my good friend Brooke Francis’ Mother –
“Kisses from Heaven”
And that’s how I honestly feel about this whole situation.
A pure, good gift from God.
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Let me back up for a second.
When I was a 19 yr. old freshman and far from God my good friend Matt Lear started a study on a book called, “Wild at Heart”
By John Eldredge.
The combination of the book along with the group of guys I was around changed my life.
It was the spark I needed to jump start my walk with God.
I went on to help lead a campus wide study on the same book the next two years. And watched it change a lot of other guys as well.
I then read, “Sacred Romance” , “Journey of Desire“ , “Waking the Dead” and pretty much anything else Eldredge has ever writtten. His other books opened me up to God as a romancer, challenged my false desires and showed me my heart was good.
He is essentially the most influential author in my life. And part of my testimony.
And God worked things out so that I could meet up with him for an hour and talk.
How did this all happen?
Well, first I asked Gary Black who referred me to someone who knew Eldredge who then referred me to his personal assistant who set up the meeting. (This whole process took about 2 months!)
There is no way it should have happen. And in fact when I asked Eldredge at the end of our meeting if this ever happened – (meeting with random people one on one) he basically said, “No this never happens. This is very rare.”
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*The Highlights*
– He was very down to earth, genuine and not religious.
– It was so surreal sitting with him in his office. I was freaking out! But the conversation flowed so well, he was genuinely interested in me and I got to ask him a bunch of different questions.
-Here are a few of the best questions:
(With his answers paraphrased)
How do we initiate our men in the West?
“Before initiation – healing must happen! And it is happening more, it just isn’t being reported.”
What is God teaching you right now?
“That I don’t love people very well. In fact I stink at it sometimes. And I really don’t love my enemies well.”
Why are you a Christian?
“What else would I do with my life? Kingdom, purpose , love , life – intimacy with Jesus. Where else would I go after encountering Jesus!?!”
How have you maneuvered your way through all the praise and criticism you have received?
” Earlier on in my life I was very combative. And I am a good debater. So my first instinct was to fight back and defend myself. But now I don’t really pay attention to it. I choose to think about my family and what God has for me today and not spend time thinking about that stuff.”
What is the best advice you have for a young man like me?
He looked at me in a very fatherly way and said, “You’re going to be okay, you’re going to be okay, you’re going to be okay. Be yourself. Be 24 , don’t try to be 30, 40 or 50. Keep doing what your doing, focus on Jesus and really you’re going to be okay.”
It all finished off with him praying for me.
He stopped for a minute and asked God what to pray for me.
And then prayed over what God led him to pray.
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I would like to finish off with this encouragement
God is good no matter what but He does like to give good gifts to His children.
This was only a fleeting dream of being able to meet up with John Eldredge while I was here
in Colorado Springs. And God knowing how much it would mean to me – gave it to me!
I hope you finish reading this blog with even the slightest deeper belief in God as a good Father.
Blessings!
This is what he wrote in my original copy of “Wild at Heart”!
