First Glimpse

I met Jesus in a narrow meeting hall nestled on the north peninsula of Bankson Lake at Miracle Camp, 9 miles west of Schoolcraft, Michigan.

I was in the youth group with the Vineyard Church from Syracuse, Indiana. Cloud 9 was the name of the event. I don’t know how the founders pitched the named but I imagine they envisioned the youth having a life changing encounter that would mark a young soul forever, and that’s precisely what happened to me. Everything about the church and youth group was new, I had only been going for several months but my older brother Nick and I were friends with the Pastor’s son, who happened to be our new next door neighbors. Plus there were other kids my age and a real band! I don’t remember much before the big moment other than I was with a new group of people and I had an inkling in my heart to know God. I was 14 years old in 2001 and I remember I had asked God into my heart before but just to clear the air, I wanted to do it again.

It was the morning worship set. I remember exactly where I was standing — front left, about ten rows back from the stage. I’d sensed something special during worship before, and especially this time. The band was playing “History Maker” by Delirious?, and I found myself saying and believing with everything in me that I wanted to be a “history maker” and a “speaker of truth to all mankind”. In my mind’s eye, I distinctly remember seeing Jesus in the distance of a long path, my heart pounding as I knew the one who loves me was standing in front of me. I ran toward him and he hugged me. This was the hug of all hugs. I remember a sensation came over me, like warm liquid love. This type of love wasn’t just a love, but it came with assurance and approval. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I knew it was Him and I knew it was good. My leaders talked about Holy Spirit some, and I’d him described, so I had some context for what was happening but I hadn’t fully grasped what was planted and how it would take root and grow in my heart.

This would be an indicator of Holy Spirit from that moment forward. For me, intimacy with God was a rare, mystical, beautiful pill all wrapped together and if I was lucky enough to stumble across one I would swallow with fingers crossed. I didn’t know that it was something I could activate into a lifestyle. But a seed was a sown that day. This was my first exposure to the tangible love of God felt in my body.

Jesus describes in Matthew chapter 13,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

As I look back on my life, this is exactly what happened. What started as a seemingly small love encounter has completely shaped who I am. His spirit confirms in my spirit what happened that day.

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