A Whisper, A Weeper

I was told once that I would ascend a mountain to the high and lonely places and meet God. This idea makes me think of Elijah as he fled Jezebel to a cave in the mountains. Great winds, an earthquake and fire shook the cave but the word says the Lord was not in them. Then at last a still small voice like  breeze wafted over the air and Elijah stood out and listened.

I was told once that when you translate the original greek in Genesis, where Adam heard God walking in the garden, the text says that Adam heard God's voice in the wind. (I'm quoting this from Dutch Sheet's "Becoming Who You Are" series.) Dutch even goes so far as to conjecture that perhaps God often appeared as a whisper on the wind to Adam while he was in the garden.

God is so marvelously present. So much so that even the wind carries His breath.

To quote the song above.

"You are not alone in this."

I'm sure how to step into such a destiny as I know the Lord has for me. I imagine great things, waves of people being taken into God's heart. But maybe I'm just a whisper in an ear of a prophet, a whisper telling someone with great shame that they aren't alone.

I experienced this recently in fact. I just had the right words at the right time for the right person. Someone that I've been praying for for months fell into my arms sobbing over only four words I spoke. They had just confessed something painful to me and I turned my heart and listened to God. All I heard Him say was "You don't deserve this." It was just a whisper, but the impact was immense. I felt closer to the heart of God and closer to my own brokenness then I had for quite some time. It was hardly before they were out of my mouth then this beautiful person fell into me. I just held them and felt God pouring out love over them as they wept.

This is what life is all about. My word this is what life is all about! I was so humbled that it was just a small voice, spoken in love that so completely dismantled a soul. But isn't that what the word says. It's the kindness of God that brings us to repentance. To know that someone thinks we're lovable when we believe we're trash. To see ourselves as worthless and hear "No, you don't deserve this." from another human being. I felt myself disarmed just the same as the person I was holding up.

The devil is a liar. Jesus only speaks truth in love. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it's soft but always it racks us to the core. The world needs more voices and trumpets and also more whispers in the wind in the high and lonely places of people's souls.

I am a voice, you are a voice. Believe it.

- J

Cartoons and Memories

 This blog begins with a little bit about my childhood.

When I was a little kid my brothers and I watched all sorts of cartoons. We weren't junkies and our parents didn't placate us with television or anything like that. In fact we didn't even have cable till I was around 8 years old. I remember coming home from school excited because my mom had hinted there was a surprise at home. My brother ran inside first and by the time I got there was watching Rocco's Modern Life. Hoops and hollers filled the air!  Having cartoons was a big deal. We loved 90's nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Such favorites as, Dexter's Lab, Angry Beavers, Rocket Power, Kablam! and so many others. Of course there were those more intense off the cuff t.v. shows like Dragon Ball Z, Johnny Quest and X-Men. Being in a family of three boys I couldn't help but be pulled in to the action, adventure shows.

 We we're and are a crazy, fun bunch!

I'm going somewhere with this. 

One of our favorite animated series was Batman Beyond and we were obsessed! The dark, empty portrayal of a near future fascinated our melancholy sense of the world. Even as children my brothers and I had a deep understanding that life wasn't all roses and sunshine. I think a lot of this is due to all the different lifestyles we lived in a very short period of time. I moved 18 times before I was 17. My family's been poor, wealthy, lost everything and then poor once again. We've lived in the inner city where we had to run down the street from gunshots and out in comfortable suburbs where we road bikes from dawn till dusk over calm and gentle streets. The world was an always changing, uncertain place. My family and my God were my constants and my peace. Although life was crazy my random childhood doesn't haunt me, if anything all our struggles made me stronger and wiser. If anything my life was a breeze in comparison to many of the people I've come to meet. I always had love, many don't. I had parents that lived radically in love with Jesus. Rarely to people get to see their parents demonstrate such passion for the Lord. I know the Lord's hand saved me from a lot more evil that I could have easily gotten into. I'm grateful for where I've been and where I am now. 

But why am I saying all this? I think I'm feeling nostalgic because I recently came across an amazing website called 12 Illustrations for artists to feature and share different pieces they've done. There is a new theme every month and the theme for April is Batman Beyond. I've been in awe of all the amazing posts and remembering my sweet childhood and all the animated series I used to love.

Here's a few of my favorite pieces.
 

If you have a moment take the time to like 12 Illustrations on facebook. The creator is Dylan Rose a talented artist and old family friend :)

I hope this has been a fun trip down memory lane. It was for me.

- J