"It's just too awesome."

Writing has always been quite therapeutic for me, as I'm sure it is for many people.  Yesterday I spent a great deal of time looking through some of my writings from the past few years in order to reflect on all of the cool stuff God has done.  I wasn't disappointed as I came across something that brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.

I have this locked document that, for the time being, is just between me and Jesus.  Looking through and seeing the movement of the Spirit and the changing movement of my heart, I once again found myself falling more in love with God.

About a year ago I had a special encounter with someone very dear to me.  This had been something I had been praying about for a long time.  We met to talk about Jesus, though they didn't know that was the purpose at the time.  We started off by reflecting on life thus far... good times and bad.  We talked about things that have been (and will continue to be) really difficult and we talked about things that are joyful and a bit less heavy.  The conversation flowed very easily and naturally for us.  As they continued to open up to me, I prayed for an opportunity to bring Jesus into our time.

That opportunity came and the results changed me forever.  Being a person who has grown up (somewhat) in the church, they knew about Jesus, but they had never made a connection between their head knowledge and their heart.  We talked a lot about what it means to know Jesus as Savior.  They asked some very honest questions, straight from the heart and I did my best to answer them as the Spirit led.  Then they said something to me that I will never forget...

They said they had never "accepted Christ in their heart," that they had wanted to, but the reason they never had was that it was "just too hard to believe."  When I heard those words, my heart sank a little bit.  I hadn't planned on that response from them.  So I asked, "what, exactly, is too hard for you to believe?"  I watched their face as they thought through their perfectly worded answer.  A look of awe and peace came over them as they gave me their response, "that Jesus would do that... it's just too awesome."

I remember my eyes welling up with tears and trying to keep it together so as not to make anyone uncomfortable.  It was a struggle to keep myself from throwing my arms around them and jumping up and down with joy... even though that's what was happening in my heart at the time.  As I composed myself internally I said to them, "you know what?  You're right, but Jesus is more than awesome enough to do that for us!  How cool is that?!"

We left the place where this conversation played out, got in my car, and I prepared to take them home.  I remember God nudging me, saying, "this conversation isn't over."  I didn't want to push them into anything based on emotion or based on what they thought I would want to hear, so I said that to them and let them know that I was available whenever they were ready to pray it out, be it then, or any time in the future.  They stopped me and said they were ready right then, in that moment.  So we held hands and prayed together.  Another name was written in the Book of Life that night as the angels rejoiced.

"It's hard to believe that Jesus would do that... it's just too awesome."  I agree wholeheartedly with this dear one and pray that we would all stop and take a minute to reflect on just how awesome He is.  Thanks be to God for this person who I love so deeply.  Thanks be to God for their honest words that cause me to stop dead in my tracks a year later and praise the Lord!