I Know You!

I think that one of the hardest things for me personally in this journey for my wife’s health has been the loss of the communication and interactions between us.  Some days I long earnestly for her thoughts on a situation that has arisen in the course of a day, for that certain look and glistening in her eyes that assures me that she is confident in me, and for her simple touch as she quietly slides up next to me and slips her hand into mine as we go for a walk or after I open the car door for her.  You may never understand how many times her just being next to me and taking my hand has given me the confidence to hear the Lord and to accomplish whatever He has called me to do in a new or potentially worrisome situation.

This morning as I walked into the kitchen I was feeling a little lonely as I considered our status in our new home, in a new city some 3000 miles across the country from the comfortable environment that we had both been born, raised and lived in for the majority of our lives.  The thoughts of how few people currently know me in our new home town swirled around in my mind as I poured water into our Keurig coffee maker.  But then, as quickly as those thoughts arose, I heard that familiar voice from deep inside me say, “But I know you!”

And with that, a warm glow seemed to rise up and enveloped my being.  I am not exactly sure why, maybe because of the personal sense that the verse has taken for my wife and I as we confess it multiple times through each and every day, Exodus 15:26 came to mind and I heard Him say that “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”  Then I was reminded of John 10:14 hearing Jesus say to me as I stood in the kitchen today, “I am the good shepherd and I know you just as the Father knows me.” (God’s Word © personalized)

Well, you talk about an upper room experience, I think I now understand what the 120 must have felt when the Holy Spirit came upon them as a wind blowing through the open windows.  With those words it was as if a strong breeze arose and blew away the lies that the enemy of our souls was trying to get me to start my day with!  You know… it really doesn’t matter who I know or don’t know at this point in our move.  I mean geez… we’ve barely been here a month and I can already see the walls beginning to come down around our neighborhood.  Two folks actually stopped and initiated a short but enjoyable conversation yesterday as my wife, the pooch and I walked in the warmth of the afternoon.

I was really blessed last week when we went into our new local CVS to transfer my blood pressure meds from the store in California.  After we had taken care of that paperwork we walked over to the other side of the counter to pick up a prescription for my wife when the pharmacy tech we had worked with came over to us and with a big smile and a laugh said that she had the Santa Rosa store on the line and the tech there wanted to talk with me stating that I was her favorite customer and she was sad to see us move!  You know.. it is little things like that that can make one feel special!

But this morning I learned that while the favor of man is a great thing to have, what really matters is that we have even greater favor with God as He intimately knows us like no one in this world can!  Even more than my wife who I have always considered to be my closest confident and the only one who really understands me.  And yes, I dearly miss all those connections that we have developed over the many years we’ve been together, the looks, the wink, the touch and the gentle words of encouragement (all of which are still there, by the way, just hidden behind the façade of the disease) I now understand that the One who matters the most has never left me, knows me better than anyone else and is closer to me than my next breath!  Now if that is not comforting, then I don’t know what is.

So, rest assured in knowing that Jesus intimately knows you today and every day… and that intimacy can’t be shaken by the dumb things that we may say or do during the course of a day.  Those “things” may shake a human relationship, but they NEVER shake the One who loves us and sticks to our side with unmovable faithfulness!  Isn’t God good?

So be confident today!  Let His love and personal knowledge of you undergird your every thought, word and action.  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to Him and His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting today?”