Four days ago I was soaking in the sun and Son’s warmth on a desert prayer retreat in Phoenix, AZ. Today I am typing in a waiting room preparing for my routine breast cancer follow-up and a small procedure in (rather chilly) Chicago.
Much is different. In the desert, Jesus and I spent most of our time alone together walking about the 10-acre desert garden surrounded by nature and sunsets and silence. In the hospital, Jesus and I are spending most of our time together walking about clean corridors surrounded by hundreds of people and walls and noises of all sorts.
One thing is the same. Either place, it is Jesus and me.
In the desert, in the hospital, in the silence, in the crowds: Jesus and me.
When awed by a sunrise, when aching with other patients: Jesus and me.
I call it life-in-the-plural and it levels all moments. The reality of Jesus and me makes every minute equally holy.
In light of Moses’ journey, I suppose I should walk everywhere with my shoes off…but then there are cactus thorns in the desert and snow in Chicago so I’ll keep them on.
But the image remains. Jesus told his disciples pre-cross that the Holy Spirit “lives with them and will be in them.” (John 14.17) Paul tells the Church post-cross that “Christ in you” is the “hope of glor
y.” (Col 1.27)
So Moses’ bush no longer has to burn. Through faith in Christ, the holy fire of God’s presence is within.
The amazing thing about this fire is that though we did not start it, we can tend it.
We tend it by remaining present to its actual existence and by refusing to distance ourselves from its wild warmth…in deserts and hospitals.
And so Jesus and me (my apologies to grammar gurus) will keep walking while the fire of His presence burns clean and pure, inviting me ever closer to a moment when I will see the fire’s first sparks in His eyes on a day when my present is gloriously swallowed up by His Presence.
Thank you Dr. Chole. As a counselor, I was drawn to your unhurried, unworried, soft approach to the problems we face and the questions we ask ourselves and the Lord. God has put His spirit in you for healing, clarity and comfort and I bless all your efforts.
And thank you, Lillian, for your kind words and encouragement!
HELLO MRS.ALICIA, ON 6/13/2017 IWAS WATCHING TBN, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU, AND WHAT A BLESSING IT WAS FOR ME. THE LAST MONTHS OF THE YEARS OF 2013 JESUS CAME TO ME SLOWLY SHOWING THE WAY TO PAY OFF MY CREDIT CARDS, STARTED TO READ THE BIBLE AND WRITING MAKING MY JOURNALS, NOT KNOWING WHY I WAS DOING ALL OF THIS, SO JESUS GAVE ME THE ANSWER ON APRIL 2015, I WAS TOLD I HAD BREAST CANCER, HE WAS PREPARIG ME FOR A JOURNEY. I CAME SO CLOSE DURING MY CHEMO THAT I FELT MY SPIRIT GOING TO HIM, IT WAS THE BEST FELLING THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. IT WAS JESUS AND ME ONLY. I HOLD HIS HAND EVERY DAY, I LOVE HIM EVERY DAY, I THANK HIM EVERY DAY. MY JOB KNOW IS TO READ MORE ABOUT YOU, THANK YOU
Dear Maria, thank you for watching and for taking the time to send your message my way. I am so grateful. And I pray that your journey is filled with hope, love, and peace.
Dear Alicia – again, on this snow covered evening I’m reading some of your older postings. This one pulled at my soul. I see how you walked with Jesus and He with you during this desert time in your life, and I’m also remembering rock hard, stark empty places in my life time. The illness and loss of my mother, the diagnosis of a complex breast mass which thankfully was found to be benign (and my church elders and pastors and others prayed for my healing before surgery), and other moments of baroness. But I sit here now crying tears of thankfulness and forgiveness……in all these places, it was indeed – Jesus and me. You capture the very essence of deep pain – but always remind us to keep looking up at the face of Jesus where there is found joy unspeakable! Precious promises – “I am without ALWAYS…” Interesting – I posted a comment above about a year ago.
I read this yesterday morning, Alicia. I had a horrible day of stomach sickness (I’ll spare you the details). Anyway, I just kept thinking about Jesus and me, together on this road. It brought me great comfort in those terrible moments of sickness.
Praising God for your words and your good report!
peace~elaine
Thank you, Alicia, for sharing parts of your life with us, to encourage, uplift and to make us aware of His constant presence. It’s such a blessed an amazing knowledge to be aware that we walk with Jesus – everywhere, and it humbles me to be in His presence. Your writing reminds me of a song we sang in our “Jesus People” meetings back in the 70’s – “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around will warm up to it’s glowing, that’s how it is with God’s love, once you have experienced it, you share His love, with everyone, you want to pass it on.” As you say, we did not start the fire, but we can and must tend it – cast some sparks out into the dark world and pray other fires will catch in the hearts of men and women everywhere. The fire, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, dwells richly within each disciple, but if we don’t share it with others, it may just burn itself out.
Jesus and me….what a lovely thought. The prayer retreat sounds AMAZING. The hospital tests and procedure…not so MUCH. For a believer in Christ, it truly is always Jesus and me. There have been times in my life when the ‘me’ part of that duo has veered off course. Thankfully, Jesus never did. He was always right there waiting for me to come back. Hoping your test/procedure goes well. I know it must be a bit of a tense time each year.