God Is Real!

It's Women in the Wednesday where I share a little about what I've gotten out of our GMG study so far!  We started 1 John on Monday.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; )”  1 John 1:1-2

Part of me was a little jealous of John when I first read these verses this week.   John was the “beloved disciple” and one of the three in the inner circle.  I don’t know if anyone was closer to Christ than John.  How great it would’ve been to have walked side-by-side with Him and to see first-hand the many miracles He performed.  

As a teacher you learn that the best way to teach is by hands-on experiences.  That’s exactly the kind of teacher Jesus was.  By becoming flesh and dwelling on Earth the Word of God was “manifested” or clearly seen.

As John says in these verses, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes…our hands have handled.”  John wrote this decades after Christ’s death and resurrection but you can still sense how real God was to him. 

I’m ashamed to say it but there was a time in my life when I started to doubt God.  It was right before I turned 21 and I was taking a speech class at a community college.  Two of the speeches we had to do were “Guardian Angels” and “Life Changing Experiences”.    There were several wonderful Christians in that class and as they began to give their speeches they had some amazing stories about how real God was.  I wrote in my journal at that time “Although I truly believe God is real I want to have an encounter with Him or a guardian angel.  I feel I need something to tell me that I’m right- that everything I’m doing is not in vain.”  I began to wish that God would give me an experience to reassure me that He was real.  As they say be careful what you wish for…

…I was on the interstate driving home from work.  I worked at a law office at that time and we’d been in court all day.  I don’t remember much of what happened but I do remember barely running off the road and hitting some gravel.  My car spun around twice and then hit a guard rail.  I can remember stopping in the car and the first thing I thought was that I’d hit someone else.  It was about 5:30 and the interstate was crowded with everyone on their way home from work.  Then I felt a breeze on my back and realized that it wasn’t another car I’d hit but the rest of my car!  When it hit the guardrail my car spit in half sending me and my seat one way and the back of the car the other way.  There was nothing left of my car but the seat in which I was sitting.

It took me a couple of days for it all to really sink in and fully realize how God has just wrapped his arms around me and kept me safe.  The car split only an inch or so from the gas tank.  When it split the back of the car came across the front seats and slashed them and my headrest.  It caught only the shoulder of my suit and ripped it.  If I had been sitting even slightly different it would have gotten my back, neck or head.   I had lost control of the car but God was still in control.  If I had just slid off the road or the car would’ve turned differently it easily could’ve been my side that would’ve had the direct impact.   I walked away with only a scratch on my shoulder, some pricks on my face from the airbag, and torn cartilage around my ribcage from the seatbelt.

I said at the beginning of my story I was ashamed and I still am.  God saved me and blessed me beyond measure and had I of been as close to Him as I should’ve been I wouldn’t have needed an encounter like that.  God’s realness is all around us we just have to open our eyes and see it.

Yes, on one hand I’m a little jealous of John; however, on the other hand, I wouldn’t trade my experiences for his any day of the week. 

Maybe I haven’t heard his voice with my ears, but I’ve heard that still small voice in my heart many times.  

Maybe I haven’t seen God in the flesh, but I saw him as I sat out on my porch reading this scripture and I watched the sunrise and felt the wind on my face.  I can look around and see his greatness everywhere!

Maybe I won’t physically touch him as John did, but I can feel his peace the kind of peace that only comes from Him. 

So while I’m so looking forward to the rest of John’s testimony and letter, I wouldn’t trade his experiences for mine.  John had God in the flesh but we have the Holy Spirit which is just as real.  One of the girls in my group said that God was as real in her life as she allowed Him to be.  So how real will you allow God to be in your life today?