ZING!

I had an interesting dream the other night that involved not only me, but both my Grandfather* and Piper.  When I later awoke and considered the dream, I thought it to be an interesting combination of characters.  My Grandpa passed a couple of years before Piper and I got married, but she did get to know him enough during our early dating years that she understood why he held such a special place in my life.

The dream itself did not have a lot of content or interaction and did not take place in a location that would have been familiar to any of us.  What did hold special significance to me though, was that it involved two of my favorite people.  In many respects they shared similar personalities.  They were both wise, loving, gentle and kind, but yet could do and say things that would surprise you and cause you to break out laughing.

They were also two individuals with whom I felt secure enough to share just about anything and know that it would be kept in the strictest of confidence.  My memories of both of them are filled with joy, peace, comfort and a true sense of excitement!  As a kid growing up, I can’t think of anyone that I would rather have spent time with than my Grandpa… well… that would be until I met Piper in high school!  But getting to introduce him to her was one of my greatest pleasures.

They had that unique kind of electrifying quality that caused me to feel like I could do just about anything in their presence.  When we would talk and dream about things, it seemed like the POSSIBILITIES were endless!  And as Piper and I matured in our dating relationship and through the years of our marriage, those endless POSSIBILITIES never seemed to cease. As we pursued our dreams and desires, we experienced countess exciting experiences and adventures together.

Piper will have passed to her heavenly reward six years ago this coming Labor Day.  Which is kind of special to me, as we began dating on the day after Labor Day in September of 1970!  But even with the passing of that time, there are still many vivid memories of experiences that we shared that physically “ZING” my body like a bolt of electricity hitting me… I mean… there have been times where I have had to grab onto something when the memory comes and it jolts me with great pleasure, like when we actually experienced the event!  It’s even happened a few times when I was grocery shopping and I’ve had to grab a shelf… thank God that I was usually alone in the aisle at the time!

Well… I got a jolt of that kind of electrical excitement this morning as I caught a glimpse of Paul’s meaning when he wrote in Colossians 1:21-23, declaring to us that,

“Even though you were once distant from Him, living in the shadows of your evil thoughts and actions, He reconnected you back to Himself. He released His supernatural peace to you through the sacrifice of His own body as the sin-payment on your behalf so that you would dwell in His presence. And now there is nothing between you and Father God, for he sees you as HOLY, FLAWLESS, and RESTORED, if indeed you continue to advance in faith, assured of a firm foundation to grow upon. Never be shaken from the EXPECTATION of the gospel you have believed in. And this is the glorious (good) news I preach all over the world.” (TPT) 

And what you may ask, is so electrifying about this passage of scripture?  Simply that there is NOW,

“nothing between you and Father God, for He sees you as HOLY, FLAWLESS and RESTORED!” 

Can you catch a glimpse of yourself like that?  God doesn’t see you as stuck, unsuccessful, sick, broken, incompetent, fearful, lazy, in financial need, angry or unforgiving toward someone who may have hurt you… But according to this verse (and others like it in your Bible) God loves you so much, that because of Jesus’ actions on the cross, He sees you TODAY, as being HOLY, FLAWLESS and fully RESTORED!

I mean… WOW!  And all that you and I have to do is to act within the manner in which God sees us and thereby continue to grow in our personal level of faith, by being assured of the firm foundation of God’s love** and NEVER allow ourselves to be shaken from the electrifying EXPECTATION*** that the Good News Gospel Message contains for you and me!

Do you remember a few weeks back when we talked about how Jesus taught us in Mark 12:30-31 to love God FIRST and then to love OURSELVES… so that we could effectively love our NEIGHBORS?**** Well… This is one of the major components to loving YOURSELF.  When we see ourselves in the same way in which our Father in heaven sees us, and live our lives accordingly… whether we necessarily feel like it or not… we are on the wholesome and steady path to loving ourselves throughout the ups and downs of our daily lives… and thereby be more available to reach out and love those around us!

Now that I think about it… That dream the other morning reminded me of how confident both my Grandpa and my wife were.  They were… in a manner of speaking… comfortable and confident in their own skin!  In one respect, you could say, in our scriptural discussion, that they LOVED themselves in the knowledge of the way the Lord LOVED them.  They not only made me feel that I could do just about anything and see endless POSSIBILITIES when in their presence, but they made EVERYONE around them feel special and at home!

So… Let me ask you… How do you see yourself?  Do you view yourself in the same way in which God does and thereby get an electrifying jolt or “ZING” when you think about the endless POSSIBILITIES that God says you have in His Word?

If not (or if so!) then you should spend as much time with the Father, who makes you to feel like you can do all things when you are near to Him… just like I did with my Grandpa and my sweet wife Piper!

Have a relaxing, fun and restorative Labor Day weekend… and watch out for (and enjoy) the unexpected “ZINGS” that may surprise you today!

 

 

*My Grandfather on my Mom’s side.  I never got to meet my Dad’s father as he passed before I was born.

**See Ephesians 3:17 (God’s Word © translation)

***See Hebrews 11:1 (God’s Word © translation)

****https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2024/08/whats-that-order-again.html