When the world feels as if it is about to cave-in around you, the darkness of a pit seems to be all your view holds, and despair is the very thing that makes you feel that you cannot take a complete breath, who do you turn to? Is there really a God that is watching day in, day out?
I believe that God is real, and that He created every fiber of my very being. I prefer not to put God under a religion. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of Religion is: “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.” I can feel Him, hear Him, and know that He is around me every second of every day. He’s not a religion — He’s God — the very One who created Life. If one were to examine and determine if God is real, I believe that they would be able to discover something larger then themselves — God — and ultimately find a deeper meaning to this life here on Earth.
Ever so vividly, I can recall the exact moment that I discovered God. I was around 10 years of age, with a lanky little body, and long straight brown hair that my mom would often gather together to create cute little pigtails or put into a beautiful braid that was held by a pastel pink ribbon. I remember slowly walking down the short concrete sidewalk that was directly in front of our home, a slight crisp-like feel in the air around me, with Fall rolling in. I looked up at the sky, with large grayish-white clouds that slowly flowed against somewhat of a blue sky. A very strong presence came over me, and a surge of energy could be felt throughout every fiber of my being. I felt watched, as if every piece of me was completely known from my very first breath. Who I was, and all that my future would hold for me. My mind struggled to hold on to the amazing encounter that I had just experienced.
After having felt this incredible presence surrounding me, I would often find myself trying my hardest to feel it over and over again in the months following my first encounter with God. I would sit/stand in complete silence, trying as hard as I could to remember that ever so powerful feeling that had overtaken my spirit. If I tried with all my might, I could “find” God. It’s difficult to explain, but I could literally feel Him looking upon me with a radiant love that made me feel safe, like I had felt around my own parents.
As I grew older, I didn’t go in search for God as often. I traveled down my own path, worrying about – Me – forgetting about that beautiful moment when my eyes were opened to another dimension that surrounded me. That typical teenage attitude and character that hangs around for a handful of years, before awakening to what life is all about, and it was definitely not all about me! I had no idea the hardship that would be coming my way in the future, but I did know that I was not alone – ever.
I know that not all are believers in God, and I am always sure to respect their opinions/views on the subject, but I can’t promise that I don’t whisper a prayer for them in the moment upon finding out, and each time that they are placed on my heart in the future. It may be in the encounters like I had experienced, that help to give a nonbeliever enough taste of the realness of God for them to truly believe. When you have felt and heard a presence so near, without actually seeing, it does something to your soul. It sure did for me. It awakens a piece that was asleep, awakening something inside that wants more.
After discovering God for the first time around the age of 10, and growing deeper in a relationship with Him, I will never be same, nor would I want to turn from the very One who has never left my side. Whether it is by looking up at the amazing sky above, doing daily chores around the home, or the minutes before falling asleep, I treasure the moments when I can feel His presence and know that I do not journey alone. Through the good and the bad, He has never forsaken me. He not only knows my future, but holds it in His very hands. How could I ever walk away knowing that my very existence is entrusted to Him? He gave me life … my breath was filled from His very own.
I not only believe ... I know.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13