40 Day Walk With God — May 30, 2014

Day 40–
TRANSFORMATONAL EXCELLENCE

Isaiah 61:1-4
The LORD God’s spirit is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all who mourn… to give them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, a mantle of praise in place of discouragement. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the LORD to glorify himself. They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places; they will renew ruined cities, places deserted in generations past.

The concept of having a Spiritual Director was something new to me back in 2004, but it was very obvious that God had orchestrated and maneuvered my life to receive the healing and transforming grace of such a relationship. My life had taken some difficult dips and turns through cancer, divorce, and the devastation of church conflict. In the depth of my pain, God sent a Spiritual Director into my life who literally became “Jesus with skin on.” I am alive today because of the restorative power of God’s grace that came to me through spiritual direction.

I was at a conference during the midst of my pain in which the Bible teacher was walking us through the Song of Solomon. He was opening the scriptures that speak of God’s desire for deep intimacy with each of us within the Body of Christ. We then stood to sing, as we moved into a time of worship. During the worship, God gave me a vision, but I tried to fight it off, believing that it was, instead, a ploy of the enemy. I saw myself in a beautiful wedding chamber with dark, richly paneled walls, bold crown molding around the ceiling of the room, and wide, wooden planks on the floor. In the wedding chamber was an eloquent pillared post bed, covered with a beautiful white chenille bedspread. In my vision, I was dancing with my Spiritual Director. I immediately sat down holding my head in my hands, silently repeating scriptures over and over in rapid-fire succession in an effort to erase the thoughts, as I was claiming the authority of the Word over what I thought was an attack of the enemy.

Then, the most amazing thing happened. In the vision, Jesus entered the wedding chamber, he tapped my Spiritual Director on the shoulder, and he took the dance. I found myself in the arms of Jesus as we danced with grace around the room. What I had thought was the enemy, was actually God, wooing me into a place of deep intimacy. I have never been the same since that day when I danced with Jesus!

God loves each of us so much, and God desires for us to walk in the fullness of who we are in Christ Jesus; redeemed, restored, renewed, and made whole to be all that God has called and created us to be. I am so thankful for a Spiritual Director who ushered me into the arms of Jesus.

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”

Prayer:
Loving God, sweep us off our feet with your love. Hold us in your embrace as you transform and re-form our lives into the beautiful creations that we are, made in Your image to transform the world by Your love. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray. AMEN.

The Rev. Dr. Diana M. DeWitt
Executive Director Aspen Tree Ministries
Chairperson Spiritual Formation Team, Tennessee Conference