One More Story

Here’s one more story that was sent to me:

After 35 years of sincere, and even zealous Christianity (but one fouled with a view that i had the right to addiction and disobedience), the whole thing crashed big-time (family, job, freedom, health, finances, etc. all ruined). And from childhood, i had literally lived in a state of high-anxiety, stress, emotional pain, and abject fear of eternity. Everything about life was hard; like swimming through molasses.

Then, about 7 November 2010, I went through a 35-day catharsis at an addiction recovery program called The Colony of Mercy at America’s Keswick.  1st was true and ABSOLUTE surrender to Him, followed by an intense period of emotional pain and ending with a dreadful / wonderful vision of actually being killed, but somehow staying alive.   Upon talking to the chaplain later about the vision, he said,  “you know… Keswick is like an elephant graveyard.  People come here to die.  They just don’t know it.”  Oh my… what?

 his started an incredible 40-day period of fasting and prayer.  It was as if God took the prior 35 years of my stumbling walk with Him, and pulled all of that out of the savings account He had created at the beginning of my walk with Him back in 1974 – and poured it back into me, with interest added!

As I back-filled my abandoned self-identity with what the Bible says i am in Christ (about 80+ things right?), all the pain, fear, doubt, anxiety – ALL of it – went away. He did it. As i abide right now (“now”), in Him, there is absolutely no fear, no pain, no doubt, no worry, no anxiety… There is only Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and even self-control.   What’s up with that?

 What happened to me?  i’m was not trying to over-intellectualize here. i was (and am still) having some off-the-hook experiences with this too.  Dreams, visions, sights, sounds, understandings, empowerment (all – so far – aligned with Scripture)… This was wonderful, but really weird, and definitely not part of my religious background.

Then, a beautiful brother, an author; one with a testimony worth listening to – and a proven track record – sent me this note:

My Dear Brother,

Laying aside the possibility that you are enjoying the wonders of having gone stark raving mad, I would surmise that you have come to understand that you are utterly one with Christ.

One thing is certain, which ever case it may be, do not attempt to understand. Oneness with the Lord is inexplicable. Further, do not look for a cure!

A delighted brother, (name)

 

Wow.  Surely it’s true.  For believers, Jesus is in us.  But it is just as true that we are in Him.

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