One With God
Years ago, Mack (my hubby) and I went camping at Hungry Mother State Park. Oh, my goodness, the Appalachian Mountains there are so wonderfully high, and we were both in hiking heaven. So were our dogs.
We’ve developed a family hiking system. Our small dogs act like contenders for the Iditarod Trail Sled Team, mushing for miles, even up steep hills. Since I am one to stop and admire moss, bark, rocks, bugs and…well anything else in nature, we hike “together apart.” He allows the dogs to be the trail bosses as they charge ahead.
As I walk, I pray. Sometimes out loud. Sometimes not. That day my prayers were asking God to help me work out a question. You see I’d been “confronted” by Christian friends that said I overthink the level of God’s participation in my life because I stated He is in tune every second with my thoughts, emotions, and breath. Well, although I didn’t say it, I thought the folks that confronted me were using God the way police call in a SWAT team, emergencies only.
So, as I walked, I pondered. My belief was centered on “always” and “without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
“Always,” meant every moment to me. But just in case I was being too dependent on God with every little detail. So, I asked Him. What exactly does it mean to have the indwelling of God’s spirit if He is not in every single nuance?
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJV) 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Along the hike, I stopped to experience wildlife. A wooly caterpillar, a red lizard crossing my path, a herd of deer bounding off nearby, their white tails just-a-bouncing. All of it filled me with so much joy! Then I heard Him down deep in my soul saying that when I feel joy, He feels joy too. Like what we feel when an infant finds our face, lights up with a smile, and kicks and coos. He delights in our delight whenever we connect. And God is always waiting for us to connect.
From that moment on I experienced double joy when all my senses connected. When I got excited about a downed tree covered in lichens, a patch of plush moss big enough to form a cushy seat. I felt Him with me as we thrilled over the song of a redwing blackbird and I witnessed the swish and whirl of a murmuring of starlings. I got it! My joy meant His creations were glorified through me, every single second. It seemed that suddenly my walk was one of awe, listening intently along with Him to the scolding caws of crows, inhaling deeply the smell of damp earth, being bedazzled by the sunlight streaming through the leaf canopy. It was as though I could hear Him saying, “Yes! We are together!”
When I got it. I really got it. I am designed to always recognize Him in all His zillions of forms, everywhere! He’s always connected to me. It’s me that must awaken to make conscience contact with Him. He is in my cells; He is my breath.
I stopped in my tracks on that steep incline covered in leaves. I took off my shoes and like Moses and Joshua allowed myself to feel it, I was standing on holy ground, where God revealed himself to me without question. Then I asked God for a sign. Something that I could know marked the occasion. Like an A on my paper, a check in the box. “Lord, if I have this right that we are one, please give me a sign.”
I was thinking He might have a bird squawk over me, or a ladybug land on me.
Isaiah 7:11 (AB) 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; make your request as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”
Oh, but God had something much grander in mind than a squawk or a ladybug. He loves to pour out His favor on a grand scale. Two steps up the trail, the leaves were scattered exposing bare earth. The rock in the picture on this blog stared out at me, alone, nothing surrounding it. I couldn’t miss it. One.
Luke 19:40 (NET) 40 He answered,[a] “I tell you, if they[b] keep silent, the very stones[c] will cry out!”
The Conversation
Wow! This moved me to tears especially followed by the Scripture. Our God amazes me every second. Thank you, thank you for sharing this beautiful story of your journey that day!
Love your stories! So glad you are sharing them.
Thank you Lindsay, I’ve shown that rock to so many people and shared the story verbally. I’m glad it translates in word form 🙂
Love it!
Thank you so much Sylvia!
WOW! Great stuff, Deborah!
Thank you Diane, coming from you that is a big compliment.
We were discussing how to be on God’s presence at Bible study at church last week. This is a perfect example.
Thank you Carol. Please feel free to share it. I appreciate your comment. 🙂
Deborah, what a lovely piece and really true when I focus on the present, only this moment.🙏❤️🙏
Thank you Kristin. If only we could all stay present moment focused 🙂
This is absolutely beautiful. The truth in it made my heart sing! I wouldn’t want a part-time God who popped out of a bottle at my request. I wouldn’t want a God who couldn’t be in this very second working all things out. We can choose God sometimes or we can choose to believe he is in every second working all things out. We miss a lot of “rocks” when we choose the former.
“When you seek me you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
You sought and found. I felt as though I was walking that path with you. Thank you for sharing this account and the picture of this beautiful rock through which he spoke!!!!!
Thank you! And thank you for the verse. It is very clear you seek Him with all of your heart. So do I! 🙂
Your Christian friends are not where you are…one…in spirit and in truth…they are believers no doubt …but they have compartmentalized GOD….as crazy as that sounds…it is very sad but so true . I am thankful that our Lord has brought you to his calling for you Deborah Maxey! I have often wondered how many people have shared experiences like yours with MH professionals who are not one and were labeled Schizophrenic and immediately 🤔 hospitalized and medicated. True Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with the divine!!Happy to know you and delighted to see this blog!Awake and ecstatic….John 10:10
Thank you April. I am very happy to know you as well 🙂
Love this story. People really can connect with God if they would only be silent and let Him speak. He really does you know.
Thank you Bob. I totally agree!