Hearing God

The following was written about a year ago. Somehow, it got archived and not posted.  It's still pertinent for me today, so I am posting it now.

When you are in relationship with someone, you talk. I have about a 40 minute drive to work every day and that's when I spend intense time in relationship with God. Sometimes, my conversation is with Holy Spirit and sometimes Jesus, but most of the time it's the one I affectionately call "Daddy" who chats with me on my way to and from work.

I feel like most people have some kind of conversation with God at some point in their lives. I know lots and lots of people "pray". I wonder if their prayer looks like a shopping list they park on the doorstep of heaven, or if it's a time of begging and pleading during whatever crisis they are going through. I have a feeling that it's a crap shoot for many. A time to ask questions and wonder if anyone out there hears them. For me... my relationship with Daddy took time to develop. Even getting to a point of calling Him Daddy was through He and I spending lots of time going over my past religious views I had of Him and buffing off the rough edges I had developed. I'm happy to say that our conversations are no longer one sided. I have learned to listen, as well as talk, in the time we spend together.

The other day, I was having one of those days where my spirit was churning. For me, it is a nervous feeling that seems to have no source of entry I can pinpoint. I got in the car and asked Daddy, "Who am I?"  There was silence.  When I hear nothing in return, I rephrase the question. "How do you see me?"  Immediately, I had thoughts flow through my mind about conversations I've had with Him in the past. I was reminded of all the places He has taken me through and all the things that He showed me that I am, but still my spirit felt uneasy. "Who am I today? How do you see me today?" Bingo! There was the right question. I heard, "You are a seer and a hearer."

This might be a good time to explain what "heard" looks like. When God created me, he created a special place inside of me where my heart and mind connect. Often times, people refer to this place as our imagination. Christians often see it as a dangerous place to hang out, but those without that religious upbringing can utilize that place easily and tap into all the creativity of the One who made them. This is where I hear The Trinity when He speaks. My spirit knows how to connect with Trinity, and my imagination puts pictures to what my spirit is picking up. The video that plays through my mind, through the pictures my imagination has created, from what my spirit is sensing is what I call "hearing".  Maybe I should call it "seeing".

This brings me back to what I felt Daddy was saying to me, "You are a seer and a hearer."  When I hear a statement like that, from the One who created everything, I know that is not only a fact, but an invitation. He's telling me how He sees me because He's inviting me to go on a journey. When the creator of the universe lets you know what He sees in you, He's also letting you know what He created in you. If He put it in you, it serves a purpose. To find the purpose, you go on a journey of discovery with Him. He never takes you someplace He hasn't already prepared you to go. If He's leading the journey, then I know it's safe to follow. This is one of the places we call M.O.R.E. (Moving Out Radically Encountered, Moving Out Responsibly Equipped, and Moving Out Relationally Encouraged... any way you look at it, you're "moving out"!). The question remains, do I want to go or am I satisfied remaining status quo? If you know me at all, you know I'm an adventure girl. I want to go!

So, where are we going and why? Those are questions that remain unanswered at this point. Apparently, they aren't important right now. What was important was what He said, "You are a seer and a hearer." These are the words I'll need to keep in mind and refer back to every step I take into the unknown. These words become the anchor He's given me to keep me from feeling like I've just stepped off the edge of a cliff. These are the phrases that let me know He has something He's intentionally partnering with me in.

The churning in my spirit has now become more of an excitement. I now know that today is the beginning of something new.

Movies, Christians and Hollywood... Oh my!

The fun thing about a blog is that you get to share your own opinion and get things off your chest. I highly recommend blogging for anyone with convictions and something to proclaim. That having been said, although I love sharing my perspective and opinions with the world, I try to keep in mind that they are just that... MY perspective and opinions. Just because they're mine, it doesn't mean they are right. They are just my view of life, as I see it.

This weekend, I went to see a couple of new movies. One was "The Great Wall" with Matt Damon (from Bourne Identity). The other was "The Shack" with Tim McGraw (Country singer) and Sam Worthington (from Avatar). I posted, on social media, about both and was surprised at the reactions that arose.

The Great Wall was a fantasy movie. It depicted a legend involving the Great Wall of China. When I posted about it I received the typical questions, "Did you like it?" "Can you give a review?"  People wanted a general idea if it was entertaining enough to warrant spending their hard earned money on this kind of relaxation.

The Shack was a fictional movie about one person's idea of what an encounter with The Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God The Holy Spirit) would be like to a person who had been severely injured by life's experiences. I would have thought that people looking for a hopeful movie, leaving one feeling good, would really enjoy this movie. I know I did. What I found, instead, was a very strange backlash from particular sects of the Christian community. The very community that criticizes Hollywood for leaving God out of everything. This activity is really bothering me. Mostly because it sends out mixed messages about Christians in general. Now, back to my rant.

The Shack won the 2009 Dove Award from The Evangelical Christian Publisher's Association. The proclamations of some Christians calling it heresy is confusing to me. The author, himself, says it's a book about, "the house you build out of your own pain". He never says it's a replacement to the Bible or for people's own theology. He's just sharing his own perspective of the road leading from tragedy to hope.

I think the main issue some Christians have with the movie is that God is portrayed as a sweet black lady (played by Oscar Nominee Octavia Spencer). God is also portrayed as a male "Father" later in the film (by Canadian Indian Graham Greene). To say that God is either male or female could be an issue, because He is neither. He is God. To say He has neither characteristic would be inaccurate too since He made us both male and female, "In His Image".  To focus on this point and say the book is heresy makes me think some have missed the forest because of all the trees. They totally missed the point of the book and the author's illustration of a Father's love. The role is depicted this way because the main character has "father issues" (both with his dad and with himself) and would not be able to accept anything coming from a typical father. This is further explained in the movie.

There are other issues sited in the infamous "heresy" controversies, but they all boil down to the same thing. People want a movie about God to be portrayed through their own personal viewpoint and perspective. They want it to line up with their own interpretation of the Bible and to be consistent with their current theology. If they are walking close with The Trinity, they want movies to ecco their most recent revelations. This movie is not meant to be a replacement for The Bible or a Theological depiction. It's entertainment. It's one man's story to tell and who has the right to judge or criticize his heart and feelings?

My husband and I laughed, we cried and we left the theater feeling loved and good. Isn't that what we've been begging Hollywood to do for quite some time? Therefore, it is my PERSONAL OPINION that Hollywood is doing a good job and that I have been thoroughly entertained this weekend!