Campfire Morals - God's Presence

Today's Campfire Moral is a shorter one, but there's nothing wrong with that right?  Have you ever felt God's presence in such a strong way you KNOW it was Him moving as if He were physically standing right there with you?  A friend once asked me this same question as he, a new believer, had yet to feel God's presence in such a powerful way like some people have described.  Fortunately, I have and I'd like to share it with you as I shared it with him.

The Story
It was a regular Sunday morning.  I don't remember the month, the year, or even what the sermon was about, but I will never forget what happened that day.  I woke up like normal, got ready, and headed to my parent's house for breakfast.  We finished our food and headed on to Sunday School at our church.  I sat through Sunday School admittedly sleepy but paying attention.  Nothing was unusual here and nothing would have prepared me for what was to come.

As the Sunday School hour came to an end and the bell rang, we made our way into the auditorium of the church.  I made a beeline for my usual spot in the balcony where not too many people sit.  Honestly it's somewhere I should avoid because it's always very warm up there and if I'm already sleepy as it is, that's not a good combo.  I sat and listened as the announcements were given and then the choir sang and sat down.  Our pastor got up to speak.  I'm ashamed to admit that usually around this time is often when the heat starts getting to me, my mind starts to wander, or even worse, I start falling asleep, but not this day.  I was unnaturally aware and awake despite being tired only moments before.

As I sat and listened to the sermon, the atmosphere in the church began to change rapidly.  It was unlike something I had ever felt before.  I looked around and others were reacting the same way; a sort of mixture of confusion, fear, and intrigue.  As time went on it only increased.  I was noticing our pastor stumbling on his words more and more.  Periods of silence were falling on the whole church.  It was like some unfathomable presence was looming in the crowd and taking us all unaware.  There was no denying that God's presence was strong in that church on that Sunday morning, as if He was solely focusing on our congregation.

It's something that is difficult to put to words.  I simultaneously felt overwhelmed, slightly afraid, but wanting it to never end because it was comforting yet unlike anything I've ever experienced before.  I wanted more of this feeling but anxious about feeling it any more, sort of like wanting something but being afraid that your desire will come true and you won't know what to do with it when you've got it.  Silence fell on the entire church for a minute.  Then our Pastor cleared his throat and announced that we would simply close our bibles, exit the church and remain silent till we were outside.

As I got into the truck, the feeling had gone away but the impression that God's presence that day left on me will last till I enter eternity.  If heaven feels anything like what we felt that day then I look forward to going home.

The Moral
There's not really so much of a moral as it is a discussion about what happened.  I know the story I shared may sound like a bunch of bologna, but it's true.  There is nothing on earth that can compare to the feeling I had that day.  It was so sweet to feel my God's presence I honestly can't put it into enough words.

For those friends of mine who are Christians, have you ever felt God's sweet presence like this before?  What was your experience like?  If you haven't I would suggest you take time out of your day to pray that God will show himself and let you feel his presence in whatever situation in life you are dealing with.  Nothing is more comforting when you KNOW by divine intervention in one way or another that God's got your back.  There is nothing to fear now that we are His children.

For those friends of mine who are not Christians, I would like to extend an invitation to speak to me, or someone else you may know who is a Christian about Jesus and his sacrifice so that we will be saved from eternal damnation and separation from Him.  There is nothing you can find in your travels across the world and experiences in life that can compare with the joys of feeling God's presence and intervention in your life.  It's something you don't want to miss out on.

Wes