Journal 2006

Do you ever wonder: If Jesus is encapsulated forever in some sort of bodily form, how will we each get a turn to see Him in heaven? We perceive Him now with our mind’s eye or our imagination.

Here’s a crude analogy: our pastor speaks in one sanctuary, but we can see him on screen in another one. Right now, here on earth, we each see Jesus on a screen in our mind. We don’t see the literal Jesus but rather what our individual, personalized screen perceives.

What about the Holy Spirit? If Jesus is “out there” projected in front of me (or beside or behind or above me), then the Holy Spirit is inside me, looking out. But how can the Holy Spirit be everywhere at once? Don’t tell me, “Because He’s a spirit.” Do I have one part of Him in my heart? Or do I have all of Him? My mind can’t wrap around “I have all of Him.” But I can grasp, “I have the part of Him that is meant for me, personalized.” And my part is part of your part—all the same Being—so that when two believers meet, their spirits recognize The Spirit inside each other, and they rejoice.

So . . . in terms my mind can grasp, when I sit down to pray, it is not sacrilegious to picture it thus: Jesus is sitting comfortably on a pillow in front of me, talking to me face to face. I often don’t have much to say, so I let Him do most of the talking. But He delights to hear my stories, too, and He wants me to share with Him my day and how much His gifts bring me joy. Sometimes, when I’m praying for someone, I don’t know what to pray for. And that’s when the “eye” (the part of the Holy Spirit inside me) says, “Well, I know all things. I know what this person needs. How about I talk to Jesus for you?”

And Jesus says, “Oh, and I have an ‘in’ with the Father. I’m praying for you, you know.”

And I ask, “Show me the Father,” and He says, “I AM the Father, because I and My Father are one.”

Confusing?! It’s like the Father is a cloak that surrounds Jesus; only He’s not “wearing” the Father. It’s like Jesus’ skin is the Father. They are one. Or . . . Jesus is the Father with skin on.

Whew! I’m out of words and images. I won’t truly understand till I get to heaven and see Jesus face to face (however that works) and that’s okay.