My conversation with God this morning

OK. I have several friends that either don't believe in God, or have a very different concept of who God is than I do, and I'm OK with that. I will not try to change you, or your opinion. Those friends will probably think something is 'wrong' with me after reading this, and I'm OK with that too.

I talk to God every morning. I pick a time and a place that is quiet, and no one will interrupt me, and that is God's time to shine in my life. Most of the time, our 'conversation' is nothing more that me saying, "Helloooo, God? Are you there?" Sometimes, I can't get a word in edgewise. Sometimes (read VERY rarely), we actually have a deep two way conversation. Those rare conversations are deeply profound, and I cherish them like life itself. This morning was one of those rare moments, and I felt compelled to share it this morning. The feeling I got was that there is someone who probably needed this more than me this morning.

I am not going into the details or the mechanics of how I 'hear' God. I do not 'hear' an audible voice...it is more like 'hearing' with my gut, if that makes sense.

So, in this morning's time, God brought be back to a post I made around Thanksgiving on Facebook about my trials were blessings. This is something I know and believe to be true, but God wanted me to dig a bit deeper into it.

His question to me was, "Why do you count your trials as blessings?"

Me: Ummmm, because even my trials are from you, and you produce nothing bad?

God: True, but what is the blessing? What do you derive from your trials?

Me: Ummmm, experience?

God: Yes! And, why is experience good?

Me: Ummmmm....

God: When you have a task before you that you have no experience with, what do you do?

Me: Try to learn something about it.

God: How?

Me: Research. Read, look for a video, ask someone.

God: You seek out someone else with experience, right?

Me: Yes! Exactly!

God: Why?

Me: Because they have already done it, and can point me in the right direction. (now feeling like I have put a feather in my cap)

At this point, God starting rolling out some of my life's experiences (some of which I would just assume forget) that I count as trials. Almost all of them were somewhat painful, or embarrassing at the time.

God: Now, if you were to experience these today, how would you react?

Me: ALL AT THE SAME TIME????!!!!

God: No. Pick one. Remember it. Recall how you felt in the middle of it. If THAT one happened now, how would you feel?

Me: Well, I still wouldn't like it, but now it would not be such a big deal.

God: Why would it not be such a big deal now?

Me: Well, I'm more mature now, for one.

God: Good! Where does maturity come from?

Me: Age....no, that's not quite right. I know people years older than me that have never quite grown up...sorry, I didn't mean to be judgmental.

God: Well, let's see if we can learn something from that. What is another characteristic that you see in people that you would describe as immature; regardless of age?

Me: Ummmmm.....

God: What do you always tell people about mistakes?

Me: Ohhh!!! 1) Own up to it. 2)Fix it as best you can. 3)Learn from it. 4)Move on! (Again feeling like I have a feather in my cap)

God: What else do you always tell people about problems/mistakes.

Me: Uhhhhhh.... What?

God: "What doesn't kill us...

Me: MAKES US STRONGER!!!! Oh yeah!!!

God: Now, let's look back at maturity. Where does it come from?

Me: Experience!

God: Not just any experience...

Me: Experience gained through troubles?

God: Exactly! Well done! I love you!

So, I hope someone out there finds my conversation this morning as profound as I did. Now I'm headed up to enjoy some of God's scenery in the Cohutta Wilderness :-)