This weekend the newest member of the BP, by way of marriage, ran in his first ever marathon. Can you even imagine running a marathon? The thought alone makes my body ache and brings a slight hint of nausea to my stomach. I would never want to torture myself like that but for this man; it was a lifelong dream. He had been training for months and when the day finally came; he was ready. And after 4 hours; he crossed the finish line. He critiqued his performance and will be recuperating from DOMS for a few days but nothing will change the fact that he can add, finishing a marathon to his list of credentials. If I ever finished a marathon, I would introduce myself as: Jay Garcia, a successful marathon runner. In fact, I may start introducing him to people as a successful marathon runner! I can assure you, (unless God has a miracle in store for me) that I will never add the title of marathon runner to my name. But my friend’s marathon running did remind me of something I started to do when I meet new people. I like to ask them a question. If meeting me isn’t an experience in itself; I ask “strangers” to tell me 6 things about their self. Complete random facts. Every ones response is the same: “6 things? I don’t know 6 things.” They can’t possibly be serious. How could anyone not know 6 things about their self? I could tell you 6 million random useless pieces of knowledge about myself. And because my life is one complete random act after another, I play the game first. (Completing a marathon reminded me of this game because 1 of my 6 facts would always be: I’ve ran a marathon) I rattle off the first 6 things that I think of. For example: 1. I hate shaving both of my legs at the same time so I usually don’t. 2. I cannot under any circumstances sleep without some type of white noise; my preference is a fan. 3. Licking envelopes makes me want to vomit. 4. I like eating cold pasta better than hot pasta. 5. I used to talk to my shampoo bottles as a child. 6. I still sleep with a stuffed animal. In two minutes, I taught you 6 things about my life. In two hours, I could teach you 600 things but don’t worry I am done filling your brain with my random life facts. I don’t play this game so people learn how silly I truly am (they learn that soon after meeting me); I play this game so I can show people that I genuinely want to know about them. I genuinely care about their life and what is important to them. I genuinely never meet a stranger so this game is my first step in making a new friend.
Jesus plays the same game with us. The only difference is He already knows us. He would put us to shame with His knowledge of our lives. So He doesn’t ask us six questions about ourselves. He asks us just one question about Him: Do you know me? He isn’t interested in how many stories you can recite about His life or the details you have learned by attending church or reading your bible. He wants to know if you truly know Him? Is Jesus more than just words on a page of a bible you keep hidden under your bed? Does your knowledge go beyond the interpretations you have heard from others? Do you intimately know Jesus? Or are you getting blown away in the question game. Do you struggle to find one thing you know of the one who created you and who gave life to your spirit? I know many random facts about myself but I also know Jesus personally. For example: 1 I know that He will tell me things twice because I struggle to listen the first time. 2. I know that His love heals my broken heart. 3. I know that He loves when I pray to Him in the shower. 4. I know He laughs when I play tug-or-war with Him before letting go of the rope. 5. I know that He delights in being called my piggy back partner. 6. I know that He sees the depths of my heart. I know many things about Jesus because I have a relationship with Him. I know Jesus personally because He lives in my heart and each day I live for Him alone. Although I know Jesus; He reveals new things about himself to me each day. I will never beat Him at the question game but I keep playing. Each new random fact I learn about my savior stays within my heart and when I meet a new friend and scare them with my random trivia; I can redeem myself by sharing with them the only piece of valuable knowledge I possess: Jesus.
Verse to remember: John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
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