Time Out Of Time

We are on the 20th day of our Spirit-led road trip. We worked our way through Montana and have been in Whitefish for a week. On my first day here, I had the treat of playing Iron Horse Golf Course with Jay, an old friend. It was special because we had the first tee time on a glorious mountain morning. Our conversations were deep and went past typical golf banter. He had known my dad for many years, and my brother worked for him several years back. He shared beautiful stories about each. It was a day of reflecting with someone that was a part of my family roots. At one point, he shared that he came home after playing golf one day, and his wife simply asked him not to let golf define his identity. He said that moment was a turning point in his life.
 
A couple of nights ago, we watched the sunset around 10:00 pm at Whitefish Lake. The dusty rose hues arched above the layers of silhouetted mountains while the gentle lapping of the water upon the beach serenaded us. The quarter moon was on the rise as well, and this day’s sun whispered goodnight, its final golden streak reflecting across the ink-blue waters of this glacial lake. This was the setting for another time out of time encounter with the Almighty on this Holy Spirit-led road trip.
 
We were sitting on a small boat dock with a mom and two boys (17 and 20) whom we had befriended earlier in the day at their booth at the Whitefish Artisan Festival. Karen and the mom had connected as deep hearts do when they sense the conception of true friendship and feel the Spirit’s urging. The mom’s calling is to create flower and plant-based God provided natural remedies that support health and wellness. She is so gifted and anointed. She profoundly loves Jesus and people, the foundation for this moment on a Montana night. We had been invited over to watch the sunset and to share stories. When the time was right and when she knew she had a safe audience with Karen and me, the story poured out. She described being deathly ill several years ago with a deadly fever. At one point, the suffering ended, and she was drawn into heaven in what she described as a beautiful, soft, and gentle transition towards a great light. She noticed a myriad of angels behind and in front of her as she was moving toward Jesus who was a ways off. Her eyes and heart were opened to heavenly sensations and so much peace and love in that moment, but her overwhelming thoughts were about her two very ill boys (2 and 4 at the time) who had been left behind alone as she passed. She recalled saying “no” as she moved closer to Jesus, and as if he sensed her great love and concern for her boys, she simply and gently was released back into her home.
 
She told us that the experience was too profound to fully comprehend at the moment. But she shared with us that the experience changed her profoundly. She also shared that the near-death experience continues to arrest her on occasion with new and deep revelation from the Holy Spirit.
 
It was a privilege to hear her heart. It was a time-out-of-time encounter with God through another kindred spirit on our Spirit-led journey. I am thankful and in awe.
 
And finally, you can’t make this up, she was heading home to Colorado the next day to take part in an intense intervention with a former NFL player, a friend of hers. She said she had been looking for something to leave with him when it was over that would speak his language and gently awaken him to the Gospel. We had given her and the boys “greatness” earlier in the day at the festival. She asked if we had an extra copy for the intervention, believing that the timing of our meeting was divine and that “greatness” was written specifically for this moment in this man’s life. As we gave her the book, hugs were deep and long, and we all understood this goodbye was only a holding spot until we all gather again one day for the sharing of new God encounters heading our way.
 
To be continued next week as we head through Yellowstone, Moab, and Santa Fe…