Tag Archives: relationship

03/5/13

I Met Truth at a Strip Mall

 

by Jim Munroe

 

The night before I went to the weird little church in the strip mall, I was out drinking on 6th street until 2 am. I wasn’t buzzed or tipsy, I was “passed-out-and-wake-up-in-Mexico” drunk. Luckily, I didn’t, and somehow, I managed to pull myself together, take a quick nap, hop in the shower, and jump in my truck.

 

I rolled into the back of the church with my hat pulled low, wearing my sunglasses. I didn’t want anyone to see my bloodshot eyes, and my hangover pounded away on the sides of my skull louder than the drum kit. The drummer, the lead singer, and the style of music were way different than anything I’d ever seen or heard in “church” before. They were African-American—this was a full-on Gospel music experience.

 

To say I was uncomfortable and out of my element would be a huge understatement … and yet … I stayed. I can’t explain it. I don’t understand why I didn’t find a reason to bail. Something was happening, but I knew too much to let it happen. I was a master of illusion, a psych major, keenly aware of the culture and psychological triggers ministers use to captivate their audience.

 

But it wasn’t about them. I was looking for something deeper. And suddenly, unexpectedly, miraculously, I found it.

 

Through the passion, the music, and the message, I experienced something new. It wasn’t a feeling. It wasn’t an emotion. It was more mysterious and profound. It was a supernatural connection, pulling at my heart.

 

My head couldn’t stop this. These weren’t facts that I was learning through the recesses of my mind. I don’t remember what was said. In that moment, the undeniable reality of God’s existence became so clear. He wasn’t a series of facts to be debated or researched. Truth wasn’t a set of right answers.

 

Truth was a person—and He and I met that morning.

 

I’ve never been the same since.

 

 
Excerpted from The Charlatan by Jim Munroe. ©2012 by Jim Munroe. Published by Inprov, Ltd. Used with permission.

 

Charlene’s Source:  LIFEToday with James Robison

 

 

Share This

06/14/12

Thoughts On Life by Chaelwest

 

Thoughts On Life

 

Life is not always what it may appear to be. There are times when our perceptions are truly off kilter, and we struggle to understand how we did not or could not see or anticipate the events that color our lives. Our comfort zones are built around absolutes in our existence–things, people, and institutions that we hope will always be there to hold us up and to form a foundation beneath us.

 

This hope is not always realized. Time is a master of change, and change can bring discomfort. The most reliable course of action is to accept the fact that change does come into our lives and those things which we have relied on to set and maintain our course can sometimes be blown into another sea.

 

Setting our sails for a straight course can prove to be hazardous. The winds of change can blow and cause the bow to swing to another point on the compass. This change of direction can be good or bad depending upon the destination to which the compass is leading. It is up to us as the passengers to decide whether or not to approach the captain with a petition to return to the original course, or to accept the new direction and the challenges it may bring.

 

Change is inevitable. How we react to change is the variable. We can face challenges head-on and defeat them through sheer force of will, or we can use a gentler approach and allow change to lead us to greener pastures, and better opportunities. When the door closes on one endeavor, look for the new door that is before you. Face your challenges, gather your resources, and forge something new.

 

credit: chaelwest@charlene’sattic

 

This entry was posted in My Look at the World and tagged change, discomfort, growth, new horizons.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Charlene Kirst