My Date With Jesus

I went on a date with Jesus today.

Like most dates, it didn’t go exactly how I thought it would.  I think it went even better!

We began our date with a trip to Dairy Queen for a Five Buck Lunch, because why wouldn’t you take Jesus to DQ?  I got chicken fingers, I suspect He would have gotten the double cheeseburger.  He just seems like that kinda guy.

At the table next to me was a mom and her two kids (a boy approximately aged seven and a girl aged five) who were extremely well behaved.  During their meal, mom had to get up to get something and while she was gone, her kids were so well behaved, talked politely to each other, and seemed to be enjoying their lunch together.

I’m sure they aren’t always like this, but it was a lovely experience watching siblings build each other up at such a young age.  Another pleasant surprise was how engaged mom was with her kids throughout the meal.  She wasn’t on her phone while they ate, they actually enjoyed a meal together!  What a reminder of how I want to be invested in Benjamin.

I jumped in the car started listening to K-Love, waiting for Jesus to tell me where we were heading next.  If you’ve never heard of this radio station, it is a Christian station that often tells positive and encouraging stories to it’s listeners. One story today was about this couple who were 16 and 18 when they got married.  She had just cooked him breakfast and was finishing up the dishes when she asked him what he was going to do that day.  He said, “Well, I think I’m gonna go down to the courthouse and get married.” To which she replied, “If you let me dry my hands, I think I’ll join you.” They’ve been married ever since!  This just brought me so much joy!

I was prompted to go to Barnes & Noble.  I spent a long time here, probably over an hour looking for a devotional.  While here I ran into a college friend of mine, Megan Parrish! She introduced me to her friend, Lexi.  We caught up and talked about devotionals and Bibles.  I helped Megan find a book, and then Megan and I were involved in the best part of the day.

We helped Lexi find a Bible! She just casually mentions that she came to follow Jesus just this past summer! I was so honored to be able to help her find a new Bible and loved hearing a part of her testimony to coming to Christ!  One of the things that stuck out most about her story, is that a church leader told her she had to know everything and believe everything the Bible says before she could really call herself a follower of Jesus.

I have been a part of the church since I was in the womb and I still don’t know everything about Jesus!  It takes a lifetime of learning.  You don’t just know the whole gospel in a day and you can make the decision right now to follow Jesus! I’m so happy I got to catch up with my dear friend, Megan! I’m beyond happy I got to meet a new friend and sister in Christ, Lexi!

After purchasing my devotional, I decided on “Flourish” by Margaret Feinberg, I sat in my car thinking of where to go next.  It only took a minute before thinking about going to Chimney Rocks.  I’d never gone before, and I thought why not? This spur of the moment decision made me feel very much like Megan Anderson.

As I was on my way, I got lost which isn’t surprising at all.  Thinking back, this is actually pretty sad because it was ridiculously easy to get to.  Anyways, while I was sitting in a random Hollidaysburg parking lot, all I could think was, “I was supposed to get lost. Either God kept me from something harmful or He wants me to see something awesome!”

After finally getting to my destination, I went to the lookout which was incredible.  I soon found a table under some trees.  I sat down and read part of Luke, as well as part of my new devotional.  This was lovely until I started getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.  I gathered up my belongings and walked down the path to look for somewhere else to sit and that’s when it happens.

Y’all, a whole wedding party showed up for pictures!  I got to witness a beautiful bride take pictures with her new hubby and all their closest friends on the happiest day of their life! I wondered if she was drying dishes this morning and he suggested they go to the courthouse.  I doubt it! The joy on their faces took me back two years, to when I got married to the love of my life, Seth!

I decided I should probably head home when I noticed that there was an upper lookout to Chimney Rocks.  Which is apparently where everyone really takes pictures when they go there.

Did I wear the right shoes for it? Heck no! Did I do it anyway? Heck yeah!
Was it worth it? Absolutely! Is my body gonna regret this tomorrow? Most likely!

It was beautiful! Not just the view, but the hike!  As I climbed this hill, I just kept looking around at all the little details that God had created for us to see.  The flowers, leaves, even a woolly worm!  It was amazing to see just how much time He took in designing the earth.  All I could think was if He took that much time to design those flowers, trees, and rocks, don’t you think He took so much more time to design you?

I think Jesus showed me how beautiful we are as people of God.

He showed me that there is beauty in parent-to-child relationships, in friendships, in marriage.  It’s all designed by Him for His glory! He also showed me the beauty of the earth, in all His little details.  Lastly, He showed me the beauty of saying “Yes!” If He hadn’t constantly been nudging me of where to go today, I’d have missed out on some really incredible moments!

I encourage you to go on a date with Jesus.  Let Him tell you what you’re doing for the day, and don’t be afraid to say, “Yes!” to the new and exciting! You never know what He’ll teach you along the way! Let me know how your date goes!