An Encounter with Jesus

I am absolutely convinced that I had a real live encounter with Jesus the other day. I have heard people say before that they saw Jesus in someone else and that another person was Jesus to them in certain circumstances, and I believe I have said that before too. What I have always meant by that in the past is that I was able to see an aspect of Jesus’ character in someone else. Or that they were doing something I imagined Jesus would have done.

This was different.

This encounter was something I don’t even know if I have words to describe. But I will try because it is important and I don’t want to lose it. It will affect me for years to come.

Saturday was a hard day for me. I had to sign real estate papers which made the fact that we are moving away official. I had to go to a wedding. I had several conversations with many people who asked me questions about two different hard situations going on in my life right now. And I had to go to a party and be social and real for 4 hours- while seeing people I either didn’t know well or don’t know at all. Any one of those things on a given day can wipe me out. I have issues with weddings bringing up bad memories and junk. I get drained being in large groups of people for long periods of time. And I have trouble letting people ask me how I am doing and really care for me. I am much more comfortable caring for others.

So it was a hard day…and it was nonstop with no real break in between.

So I have had this hard day and am at this party for a friend of mine who has recently come home from a year-long trip around the world. He was going to show us a movie he had made of his travels. And this was not going to be your typical slide show that you have to suffer through. Doug is a creative genius and storyteller. So there was no way it was even an option for me to miss this event. I not only wanted to see Doug…but I couldn’t wait to see what he had created out of his amazing experiences I had been hearing about for the last year.

So I get there and see Doug for the first time in over a year. I don’t even know how to describe what happened -as I don’t think words can express it adequately. When I first walked up to Doug – there was something that changed in the air around me. It seemed almost electrified. He saw me and his face lit up. He smiled at me with his eyes and enfolded me in a huge hug that enveloped me completely. I felt it deep in my soul. I wanted to stay there forever. It wasn’t a sexual hug. It wasn’t like I have a crush on this guy. There was nothing weird about it. It felt like Jesus was hugging me. It was the best hug of my life. The funny thing is – a few days before a friend had told me she had gotten a hug from Doug that she described the same way. I didn’t get it until it happened to me.

I stood and talked to him for a few minutes and felt like I was the only one there. He was talking about me and bragging on me to my husband like he was so proud to know me. It was like I had always imagined Jesus would talk about me to His friends. I felt as if I didn’t deserve it at all…and being me probably said something sarcastic to deflect it. But I felt it and it touched me. Being in the vulnerable place I was in – feeling off balance and down – it was as if Jesus was smiling at me from Doug’s eyes and letting me know I was valuable and lovable and worthy.

The night went on and we watched Doug’s travels around the world- which was amazing. Seeing the world literally through Doug’s eyes – through the lens of his camera and the sound of his voice. It made me realize how much I don’t know about anything outside of my bubble. He has been to AIDS infected villages in Africa and the Home for the Dying in Calcutta. He has walked in Jerusalem where Jesus walked and bathed in the Dead Sea where Jesus bathed. It was truly amazing and it changed him somehow.

Hear me now- I don’t think that Doug IS Jesus. Not in any way at all. But that night – to me- Doug somehow allowed me to feel Jesus’ presence. He hugged me as I imagine Jesus would have. Later on in the night I was having a hard conversation with a friend in the corner of the kitchen. She was crying for me as I talked to her- telling her some junk about the hard stuff that is going on. And I was starting to get sad- feel down about a situation that just doesn’t make sense and hurts me. And as I was talking to her – Doug walked by to tell us the movie was starting again and just put his hand on my shoulder. Again- I can’t describe it – people do that all the time. But this was different. I almost want to ask him to do it again so I can analyze it and figure out why it was different. But that is silly because I know why it was different. It was as if Jesus was there again – in that hard moment with my friend – conveying love through touch. Letting me know that He cared about me and loved me and understood that I am sad. And that He is sad for me too. He understands and He cares and He loves me.

All that from the way Doug touched me. For 3 seconds. How is that possible?

I have no answer for that except to know that he is a man of God. And somehow on his trip around the world – God met him in a new way. And for that night- he embodied Jesus love to me – in a way that I will never forget.

I have needed Jesus to be tangible to me in the last few weeks. I have begged Him to hug me. I have needed to feel His arms around me. And He answered me…on Saturday night…in the living room of a friend’s house….surrounded by people who loved me and cared for me and know me and choose me and cheer for me.

And that is something I will never forget…my own personal encounter with Jesus.