I actually started to blog 3 years ago with a single post… then I got busy…. I guess it wasn’t time… I have updated the post below to reflect my current situation… It hasn’t changed much in 3 years, but I do see growth. Perhaps now I am closer to being ready to immerse myself in this experience. At least I hope I am… Today, I begin again… because… it’s time.
1/25/16
I am a storyteller… by vocation and by design… I have felt a draw in my heart to the spiritual side of existence since I was a child. I was raised in a really small town, Christian home, although as a family we were not always regular church attenders. As I grew, I was exposed to more and more opportunities to develop a personal relationship with this guy “they” called Jesus. And then, one day, at a campfire vesper service, I finally said yes to His free offer… and thus began the incredible journey that has brought me to this day…
I was 16 years old.
Today I am 57… and I have had quite a ride thus far… Life’s roller-coaster has been an amazing blend of both terrifying, “in the valley” struggles and triumphant, mountaintop experiences. At times I chose to detach from my relationship with Christ, but he never left me alone. Some folks find it cheesy, even trite, but the illustration of the footprints in the sand is, in hind sight, a truism in my life. And now, I find myself in a place where I am taking time for reflection, and I realize that although I have been a believer in Christ for many years, (some years at more of a distance than others), my faith is based more on life experience and head knowledge than on the truly intimate relationship that I think we are beckoned to… In recent years, however, I seem to be on an upswing with regard to my relationship with my creator. I have been able to glimpse his face and feel his touch in ways that both intrigue me and excite me… and that is the reason for this relaunch.
My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to literally “find my place in the Son”… to get to know Christ at a depth that removes any doubt about my faith before it comes into play. I was just talking to my pastor once about writing a dramatic program for Easter. He suggested perhaps a piece from the apostle John’s perspective as he reflects on what happened to the other eleven disciples and Paul after Jesus left the earth. These men all experienced the risen Christ, and from that day forward spoke boldly and refused to recant their testimonies of Jesus as the Messiah and risen Savior… even though each one suffered a horrific death.
And that is what I hope to find in this quest… no, not a horrific death, but a certainty in Christ… a reality of faith that brings hope, motivation, and courage… a truth that allows us a level of peace that passes all understanding. I finally want to know, without a shadow of doubt, who I am in Him.
Like I said, I am a storyteller, and I will use that gift to chronicle my journey and those things I encounter along the way as they reflect His presence in the situation at hand and my response to the Spirit’s leading.
I am not sure anyone will find it worth reading, but I promise you this, I will be honest in my thoughts and feelings and will not hold back struggles, doubts, failings or any crisis of faith I encounter… I don’t know how often I will post, but I hope it will be a regular thing… If you pray, pray for me in this effort.
Let the quest begin!
Mike's Mission - Finding my place in the Son 