Camping

"After six days, Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John, his brother and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then, appearing before them was Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three tents - one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Matthew 17: 1-4

Have you ever had one of those rare and beautiful transcendent moments in your life when you really knew, felt and sensed the awesome, loving presence of Jesus? I mean, really experienced it - to the point of being overwhelmed and awed - so much so that there was never any doubt that God was real, God was immense, and God loved you.

I have been blessed on occasion in my life to have had God explode into my ordinary existence. I have had mountain top experiences of drinking deeply from Jesus' awesome presence, and quite frankly, there is nothing quite like it. I remember wishing that the feeling and experience could have lasted forever...

Peter, James and John were blessed with an awesome experience - before their eyes, up on the mountain top, Jesus, (for a brief moment) stripped back His humanity to reveal the entirety of His godly nature. He face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as bright as a white light, and then to top it off - Moses and Elijah (long dead rocks of the Hebrew faith) stepped out into the open and began talking with Jesus! Jesus blessed the three disciples with a private and personal glimpse at the awesome extent of His almighty holiness - and they were left with an indelible experience. Can you imagine, being there intimately with Jesus, Moses and Elijah, in full view of all that makes God great?

Is it any wonder that Peter's first response was to pitch some tents and camp for a while on the mountain? Peter wanted some permanency to this experience. Tents would surely allow this mountaintop experience with Jesus to keep on going.

But alas, for Peter, James and John, the transcendent mountaintop experience was not to last. Jesus had work in the world of the ordinary for them to be about.

Although I strongly desire to experience these mountaintop moments with Jesus as much as I possibly can - Jesus also has work for me to be about in the valleys. I will have eternity to "camp" with Him and bask in His presence. Until then, I will be content and grateful for the little glimpses of glory that I get, and let them encourage and embolden me for my work amidst the ordinary.

Be God's, Scott