What is my relationship with Jesus?

Karl Schmidt

When I wasvery young I learned about Jesus in Sunday school.  He lived over 2,000 years ago and told manyparables.  What did that have to do withme?  The old song “What a Friend We Havein Jesus” is a great song but I doubt that I comprehended its meaning.

TheTrinity.  Most of my life I have prayedto God the Father through the Holy Spirit. I started out with the greeting, Dear God.  Seldom did I start out with, Dear Jesus.  I believe that God is in me and all aroundme.  I have a profound sense of God’spresence in all that he has created.  Iexperience His presence in my being and in my relationships with my brothersand sisters.  The Trinity is a mystery offaith, it boggles my mind.  Where doesJesus fit in all of this?  How do I learnto know him?  I shared my questions withJohn.  I hope I got this right.  He said if you know one you will be led tothe other.  So now I say “Dear God andyou too Jesus.

In the pastfew years I have come to realize that my words, thoughts and actions areprayer.  That means that prayer is prettymuch constant.  When I purposely initiatea conversation I don’t always address the Father or Jesus by name.  So – thank you for today, the sky wasbeautiful tonight.  Oh, by the way, couldyou help me be a better friend to my neighbor. When I listen, I don’t hear “this is God speaking, son do you haveanything to add”.  I do sometimes get anudge to go one way or the other through God’s Holy Spirit. 

As you haveprobably figured out, I am still trying to figure it out.  So, life is a journey.

In my mostrecent years I believe that I have become more spiritual and have developed amore personal relationship with Jesus. Retirement has given me more time to be quite and listen.  It has also afforded me the opportunity to bewith friends like you.  We support eachother in our daily lives and in learning about our faith and in growing ourrelationship with Jesus.  God has givenus the gift of this group.

Church hasbecome the center of my life.  Ourcommunity is most important to me.  Igreet many of you at the front door most Sunday mornings.  I thank God for the opportunity to welcomeour parishioners and travelers.  I am aquiet person and somewhat shy, but on Sunday mornings I experience the gift ofhospitality.

I haveexperienced obstacles to having a relationship with Jesus.  I am reminded of the story of Martha andMary.  For example my wife, Cherie, oftenstarts her day at 5:30 reading scripture, reflecting on what she has read andjournaling her thoughts and insights. This generally takes three hours. While she is listening to Jesus, I feed the dog, eat breakfast, cleanthe kitchen, start the laundry and take out the garbage.  Now, I’m not complaining, I see it as Cherie choosingwhat is better and I make it possible. The point is that I can easily be distracted.  Busy work can keep me from sitting at theLord’s feet listening to what he has to say.

There havebeen times in despair when I could not believe Jesus would allow suchmisery.  I have been on the edge ofdenying his existence.  In Viet Nam in asmall defensive parameter a thin wall separated me from Ron Harris in abunker.   One evening we received mortar and rocketfire.  A rocket hit Ron’s side of thebunker.  Ten body bags were flown out thenext morning.  How could God allow suchthings to happen?  I was angry andoverwhelmed with fear, sadness and grief.  Sometime later Jesus and I had a talk. He reminded me that this is not what God had intended.  If we could only fulfill his command to lovehim and love our neighbor, none of this would have ever happened.

So, what ismy relationship with Jesus? 

He is theface of God.  He is not just a historicalfigure but is a living presence in my life. He knows me inside and out.  I dohave a friend in Jesus.  We can talkabout anything. 

What is yourrelationship with Jesus?