(~) The Whirlwind
The day was clear and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. The rays of the sun
bathed my body in the warmth of its embrace. All that surrounded me filled
my eyes with unimaginable beauty. I was in awe of all that I saw before
me.
I walked along my path with ease. Nothing stood in my way to keep me from
enjoying life, or reaching the goal that lay before me. It was as if I was
a part of the scene that my eyes took in. I was part of the beautiful
landscape that presented itself as I walked along. Then, as I walked,
things began to grow cloudy. At first, the clouds were brilliant white.
Their form and colour complimenting each other as they made their way
across the sky. Their movement was slow and graceful. As they moved along,
it seemed as though they were getting closer to me.
As I continued my journey, the clouds began to gang up on me. Their colour
began to change to a light gray, still not ominous, not threatening in any
way. Then they began to descend from the sky, and enclosed me in a bank of
fog.
At first, the fog was pleasant. It embraced me in its quietness. As it
began to thicken, it became more difficult to see the path I was on, but
the stillness of the fog gave me a sense of security that made me think
all was well. After all, the fog was quiet, nothing could be heard to warn
of any danger that might be lurking around the next corner.
As I wandered in the fog, A light drizzle began to fall. It had been a
warm day, and so the coolness of the drizzle felt refreshing on my skin as
I walked along. Soon, the drizzle became slightly heavier, and I began to
feel the chill of a slight breeze as I walked. Yet, I still felt no danger
as I made my way down the path.
Soon, a gentle breeze began to blow. The fog was still heavy, the
drizzle continued to fall, and now with the mix of the wind, I began to
grow cold. With no thought of impending danger, I journeyed on. Nothing
warned me of what was to come, but I still felt safe enough to continue.
The drizzle turned into rain as I walked ahead, and the wind began to grow
in strength. The fog began to move in a circular motion. Now I was getting
concerned, but it still wasn't bad enough for me to abandon my journey. I
went forward, but as I walked, the journey began to get harder to make.
The wind came against me, and the rain started to hit my body like tiny
liquid bullets trying to penetrate my skin.
Then, everything began to swril around me. The weather was not
dangerous. The wind and rain railed against me, there was nowhere to hide,
I thought I would succumb to the elements as they continued to swirl in
violent tempest round about me.
As I tried to move forward, I heard a voice cry out: "come this
way!" I thought I was alone in this journey. The voice came as a
surprise. I was not expecting anyone to come along and help me find a way
out of this terrible tempest raging around me. I thought I was hearing
things.
Then, the voice made another appeal: "Come this way!" Inside me, a ray of
hope appeared as I journeyed along. Maybe I wasn't alone after all. The
tempest raged about me, but I kept hearing this
voice. It got stronger and stronger as I walked, its urgency
increased: "Come this way!" In the tempest, I could see no one. I
began to feel that all that was going on around me was just driving me
nuts, and I was hearing things.
The more I doubted the voice was there, the stronger it got. The
more I felt I was alone, the more I began to wonder if that was
really true or not. Just then, over my right shoulder, I thought I saw
something. Again I thought I was imagining things. How could anything get
through this terrible tempest that raged around me. It was impossible!
In my confusion and fear, I couldn't be sure of anything I was
thinking anymore. I heard this voice, but was it real? I thought I saw
something, but was it really there? Just at the point of breaking, I felt
something touch my right shoulder. I thought it was debris from the storm,
but it felt soft and warm, like someone's skin. Maybe there was someone
there. Then the voice called out
again: "Come this way!" I turned my head and saw someone standing
there. I yelled back at the voice: "I can't!" The wind and the rain drove
so hard against me, I felt as though I couldn't move. Then the voice
called out: "Yes, you can!"
I couldn't believe it! In this terrible storm, here's this person telling
me I can go against it. But, I couldn't see through the storm, and thought
it went on forever. It was not a pleasant experience. My walk turned from
ecstasy to fear in the matter of a few seconds, but it felt like it was
going on forever. I couldn't see anyway for me to reach safety, even with
this person telling me to follow him `this way.'
He made his way closer to me, and as he drew near, I could see there was
something different about him. He wasn't in the middle of a terrible
storm, and sunshine shown round about him. It was as though the storm had
no power over him. As he came closer, it looked odd to me to see the
shining rays of the sun bask him their warmth, while I was still chilled
by the wind and the rain.
He embraced me, and whispered something in my ear, but I couldn't hear
him. The wind and rain were still too strong for me to hear. As he held
me, the sun began to shine on me too. The storm that raged around us went
full force, trying to destroy us. It raged and howled in an effort to
drown out his voice, but he continued to whisper in my ear. Finally, I
thought I heard what he said: "Come this way.' I threw my arms around him,
and yelled into his ear: "But I am so afraid of the storm! It will kill e
if I try to walk through it!" But yet, he insisted: "come this way."
`Will you help me through it?' I was beginning to regain my thoughts. He
had come through the storm to get to me, what made me think He couldn't
lead me out of it? Softly, he whispered in my ear that he would go with
me, as long as I trusted him. As I pondered over what he said, I thought
that with him I just might make it through. Then a ray of sunshine began
to shine on me.
The more we stood there, in the middle of this awful storm, the more I
began to trust him, the more calmness grew around me. The storm subsided
around me. It still raged, but now there was an area of calm forming
around me and my newfound friend. Soon, we were standing face to face in
this calm area of the storm that had formed around us. With him standing
there, I felt safe. I knew the storm wouldn't harm us.
As we talked together, I noticed that we began to walk forward. I wasn't
sure what direction we were heading in, but he seemed to know. So, we
journeyed on together, just talking. Then, as we began to walk, the rain
began to subside. Soon, the wind began to stop churning around me.
We walked further, and the rain again turned into drizzle, and the wind
calmed down. As we walked, the scenery around me began to turn bright, the
sky was still dark, and the storm still threatened to return, but there
was a confidence as I walked with my friend that even if it did, I would
be safe from harm.
Then, my friend told me that the journey was ending. I didn't want it to,
but he said that we had reached our destination. The sky was cloudless
now, and the sky shown with a brightness greater than anything the sun
could ever produce. I asked him where we were, and he told me: "We have
made it to my Father's house. When I saw you in the storm, I knew I wanted
to bring you here, not because you were more brilliant, goodlooking, or
stronger than all the rest, but because you were weak and frail, and all
that was around you was consuming you. I knew that if I led you here, you
would find rest, peace and an eternal sense of joy. I knew I had to lead
you here, not because you are great or mighty, but because you are you,
and my Father loves you."
We opened the door to the house, and there he sat on a golden throne. His
presence filled the room he was in, and flowed out to the entire universe.
The whole earth was full of his brightness, the glory of his presence. I
was hit by the warmth of his love for me. I could feel how much he loved
and cared for me. It wasn't anything words could ever hope to describe,
and yet, I was there, experiencing all of it.
As we entered the room, I heard my friend's father say: "My child, I am so
glad you have journeyed here, now come, and take your place. Rest, eat and
be filled. Stay here forever, because now that you are here, heaven is
complete, and we can spend eternity together."
I found a padded mat layed out n the floor for me. I sat at the Father's
feet, and just basked in his love for me, and couldn't help but sing songs
of love and praise to him, forever. I was where I was supposed to be,
where I was created to be; at the feet of MY Father, the God of all
creation.
2 Corinthians 12:6
2003 Eric Bicknell
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
The Lord is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
Take my polls
http://ninure.100megsfree5.com
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
The Bible Site - help provide free scripture
http://www.thebiblesite.org
To send e-mail, remove nohate from address
.
|
