Awe Struck

Yesterday, on my drive to church, I was listening to some music and just looking around while I was driving. It was 7am, the sun was out, and the air was fresh (well as fresh as it can be in Detroit). As I was driving, I was looking at all the things we have. I saw birds, trees, bugs hitting my window and the sun shining in my face. Then this came to my mind.

“(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” – Genesis 1:1-2

I have traveled to a lot of different places. I have been to most of the states on the east coast from Virginia to Florida, and as west as Missouri. I have been further west, but not on a regular basis. My favorite place to go is the mountains - the Smoky Mountains to be exact. If you have never been, you should go. My parents first took my brother and me camping there when we were very little, and I have been back several times. It is a very beautiful place to be! Gatlinburg, Tennessee is place I have visited the most. The last time I was down there was about four years ago. We all took a family trip; Andrea, Reba, Mom, Dad and I all went and rented a cabin in the mountains. When I woke up every morning, I would find myself sitting on the deck just looking at the beauty that had been created - the birds, the bears and trees, right down to the smallest bugs. I couldn’t help but wonder how it all came to be. I know how it got there, but I never really thought about it. I sat there and thought “If God can create this, there is no limited to Him.” Take a person for instance. How in the world can we think we evolved from an ape? We are so complex, it is unfathomable. We each have our own personality, our own way of thinking, and the free will to make whatever choice we want. We were created in God’s own image. God created us to have a relationship with us. Someone to talk to, someone we can confide in. The Bible says that Adam walked with God in the cool of the day. How awesome would that be to actually walk with God? Well, you can walk with Him, which is what being born again is all about - a personal and intimate relationship with Him. God wants nothing more than for us to be with Him.

Pastor Scott said yesterday during worship that many of us are beaten down by the things of this world. He then told a little story about Jacob. When Jacob was in Bethel, he made an altar unto God. It was there that God appeared to him. We need to get back to that place where God appeared to us; we need to get back to our Bethel. In this day and time, I cannot stress this enough. I was in this same place. I was beaten down by what I was doing and what was influencing me in the world. I had to get back to my Bethel, and let me tell you, IT’S AWESOME HERE. I can’t believe I ever left.

If you want to read about Jacob and Bethel, read Genesis, chapter 35.

Until next time!!

B