A Beautiful Story

I just finished speaking in Orlando to a large gathering of youth pastors. I was talking about hearing God. The experience felt…a little weird. On one hand, I felt like I was speaking on something way too simple and obvious to justify a keynote talk, like telling them for forty-five minutes that they should drink water or get regular sleep. It felt so basic, so painfully obvious (even though I know they don’t practice this). On the other hand, at the very same moment I also felt like I was making a case for something really radical, really “out there,” like a fifth book of the Gospels. Thus the weird experience. This is really obvious. This is really a stretch.

At the end of the talk, I led them in a few moments of silence and listening to God.

Afterwords, there was a book signing, and God gave me two beautiful stories.

The very first woman to the table was so excited. “God just spoke to me,” she said, eyes bright with that “this is so real” brightness. “He just helped me find my checkbook. Its been missing for like three months, and he just told me where it was.” Inside I was cracking up. You are so funny, God. This is how you wanted to show her this is real, and that you know her. Her checkbook.

She bought five books to give to friends.

The next story came about twenty minutes later.

It’s a man this time, and he begins, “I’m not a very mystical guy.” I figured he was about to refer to the exercise where we listened to God, and I sort of smiled inside. When did talking to God become mystical? He continued, “But I did what you said and just got silent. And God said, Take Amy to St. John. Amy’s my wife, and God wants me to take her to the Bahamas.” I said, “Wow. Great,” thinking that was the end of the story. But he goes on, “After you finished I turned to the guy next to me and said, ‘I think God wants me to take my wife to St John.’ He said, ‘I have two tickets for St John and God has told me for awhile they are not for me but I’m supposed to give them to someone. So, you have two tickets for St. John.’”

They had just met.

How completely God is that?

And this fellow, he was pretty blown away. “That is crazy!!”

I just smiled and said, “Way to go. Enjoy the trip!”

It’s not crazy. Just wild, and beautiful, and pretty normal…when you walk with God.