Makala was on an actual honeymoon with his bride about this time a couple years ago…. Enjoy this re-post on Communion with Him.
His Joy overflows, chasing us down.
His Love overwhelms, paying our debts.
His Peace invades, dismissing our fear.
His Presence heals, bringing Life real.
Thank You Beloved.
You are mine. i am Yours.
The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
May He kiss me with the kisses of His mouth!
For Your love is better than wine.
Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your Name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love You.
Draw me after you and let us run together!
The King has brought me into His chambers.
~ from Chapter 1
This ongoing moment in my life actually started in a barber chair.
There was this kind and gentle woman who came to help us lost boys at the Colony of Mercy with our hair. She had weathered some (but not all) the ravages of addiction in her own life. Her husband had gotten better for a bit, but was now back out doing more research on whether a man can live free of addiction absent of absolute surrender to Jesus.
Anyway, this kind and gentle woman stood near and would quietly ask questions as any person working on your hair might. But the questions were different. She would ask about how things were going; how we were feeling – what what happening in our spiritual life.
The environment in the Colony of Mercy at America’s Keswick is not so much a therapeutic community as it is a spiritual fusion reactor. Truth flows in loving torrents. The Holy Spirit is speaking to hearts and transforming lives at miraculous volumes and rates. And in this place, 40 men are hurting and even gasping for breath just trying to keep up with the pace of change the L_RD is hammering through their lives. Along with all of that, there is just the natural hum and drum and flotsam and jetsam and conflict of daily life.
Then this kind and gentle woman spoke words that changed my life.
As the clippers went over my hair, she asked some questions about what G_d was doing in my life. My answers intrigued her. She could see that He had gotten a major foothold in one addict’s life. And she went on to say the most amazing thing. She said, “You know, why don’t you make this time here at the Colony a honeymoon with Jesus? You know?”
At first, it seemed a little weird. But very quickly i began to see the wisdom in this kind and gentle woman’s words. A honeymoon is exclusive and intense and purposeful and good and private and intimate and wonderful. Further, it is designed to be a consummation of the overt act of two people surrendering their lives to each other. And, after all, Jesus had first surrendered His Life to me. And i had, recently, fully surrendered my life to Him.
And so began a period in my life that has not ended. And from what Scripture tells me, it never has to go away. i entered into the near Presence of G_d, and yielded to His Love. He does not fail to move into communion with His beloved. As i set aside months of time to simply eat, sleep, play, sing, work, cry, run, walk, fall, exercise, wait, meditate, abide and dwell with Jesus – He has became absolutely real to me. This was no mountaintop experience at a weekend men’s retreat. This was the joyous consummation of the beginning of an eternal marriage with Him.
Can i share something? This joy overflowing, this peace beyond understanding, this epic strength for living, this Love beyond measure is available to us all. Cast yourself on His mercy. Enter into relationship with Him by His Grace. Yield to His Love like lovers on their wedding night. It is OK to enjoy knowing Jesus.
It is, after all, why we exist. All the other things we sought in order to bring fulfillment like this were simply things. Only Infinite Spirit can fill the infinite void in a man and make him whole.
I count that part of my life lost which I spent not in communion with God, or in doing good.
~John Donne (1572-1631)
