Have you ever wondered why "religious" people seem to think that God is a sourpuss?
Thankfully, Jesus has already taken care of the really serious stuff for us. The whole purpose of the Cross was so that we may enjoy this life, even as we are passing through to the Kingdom of our true citizenship.
One of the first revelations I received about God's whimsical nature was shortly after I began to dialogue with the Lord. I was spending some time at the harbor listening to worship on my boombox, watching the big ships sail into port, and journaling.
The seagulls, apparently attracted to worship were flocking around the boombox and me. They were squawking as they searched for tasty tidbits. Sitting on the rocks enjoying the warm sun and smell of sea air, I became fascinated by the huge ocean liners and freighters as they passed toward the dock.
As one enormous ship sailed slowly by, escorted by a small tugboat, the Holy Spirit broke through my thoughts.
He said to me, "You see that tugboat out there?"
I answered, "Yes, Lord."
He continued, "I am just like that tug boat. I come along side you and I gently nudge you into the direction that I want you to go. I apply gentle pressure to steer you in the Father's ways."
He began speaking to me in depth about those ways. I suddenly felt like I knew just how the disciples must have felt, as they sat beside Jesus learning from Him.
It was a great time just hanging with the Holy Spirit on that beautiful spring day and listening to Him teach me. It was a day I will always cherish.
The following day I was at work. In my position, as a beauty college administrator, I was required to supervise about 40 student hairdressers as they cut and permed hair on paying clients. I was standing alone behind the reception desk, keeping a close eye on these aspiring hairdressers, as they cut, colored and permed. Focusing intently on all of the simultaneous activity, I was suddenly interrupted.
To my right, in my peripheral vision, I saw someone moving toward me behind the desk. I saw an elbow thrust toward me, as though to jab my side playfully, as friends will sometimes do. I glanced quickly to my right to see who had joined me. As I began to turn to identify the person, I heard a familiar voice say, "I'm coming alongside!"
There was, however, no one behind the desk but me.
What I had seen was very real. It can only be described as a shadow of movement in retrospect. What I had heard was the same familiar voice, who had spoken to me at length at the port. It was the voice of a friend, reminding me of a wonderful time of fellowship, which we had enjoyed together the previous day.
It was the heart of the Holy Spirit revealed playfully to His friend as He was tugging at my heart with His gentle and loving humor.
His Healing Humor
One Saturday morning a close friend and I were driving on a California freeway on the way to visit my daughter in another city. Several minutes into the drive, I became aware of how unusually quiet my passenger was. The heaviness of spirit was palpable in the car.
My attempts to draw her out into conversation were met with short non-committal answers. She just could not seem to engage. It was quite obvious that troubles, that she had been experiencing at work recently were weighing her down and robbing her of her joy.
I felt led of the Holy Spirit to pray this heaviness off her. Reaching out with my right hand, I laid it on her shoulder, and began to invite the Holy Spirit to come and minister His comfort to her. I asked Him to take her heavy burdens and to release His joy to her once again. I began to pray Isaiah 40:30 and 31 over her.
"Even though the youths grow tired and weary and all young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."
Suddenly and unexpectedly an anointing of authority came upon me. Overtaken with great fervor, I began to prophesy the rest of the Scripture personally to her and loudly as well. As I prophesied with great authority, I shouted, "You WILL rise up on INGS of WEAGLES!"
Instantly the heaviness and depression was broken with tumultuous laughter, as we realized the Holy Spirit had stumbled my speech to play a joke on both of His daughters. My intent to say "wings of eagles" was thwarted completely, in order to get the breakthrough she needed that morning.
He had created a healing moment with His wonderful humor and set her free from the enemy's grip on her emotions. It was a precious moment for me, as well, as He used my willingness to come alongside a friend to bless both of us. We had a wonderful day after that.
This is a memory that we both share and that Scripture has special significance for both of us, even years later. He somehow inscribed that promise on our spirits indelibly, with a big, big exclamation point marked by Holy humor.
Profound Truths Revealed
Some time ago I happened to be reading the Book of Exodus. It is, admittedly, difficult reading for me but I was really trying to focus and glean whatever the Lord wanted to teach me that morning.
Carefully reading each instruction for the building of the Tent of Meeting and Tabernacle, I was struck by a predominant pattern. The tent curtain and the tabernacle curtain were to be woven of threads of blue and scarlet and purple. The priestly garments, the ephod, and the breast plate were to be made of woven threads of blue and scarlet and purple. The other priestly garments were to be made of woven threads of blue and scarlet and purple. Page after page and chapter after chapter were instructions to use blue and scarlet and purple and more blue and scarlet and purple.
So often when God continually repeats something in the Scriptures, He wants us to pay particular attention. I came to wonder what was so significant about these particular colors. Did they have some prophetic meaning? Were they symbolic of something holy or was there something profound in their meaning?
Desiring to be a good student and intrigued by the mystery of these particular colors, I finally inquired of Him.
I said, "Lord, why was everything fabric supposed to be of blue and scarlet and purple? What is so significant about those colors?"
I was anticipating some really important revelation. Perhaps the scarlet symbolized the blood of Jesus, the blue speaking of some Divine mystery.
I paused to listen for this profound answer which I had anticipated. The Lord stunned me with His answer.
As clearly as I had ever heard Him, He said quite matter of factly, "Blue, scarlet and purple are my favorite colors!"
Who would have thought that the Creator of the universe had "favorite colors"? Certainly not I!
I learned two important lessons that morning. One was that God could exert His preferences any way He so desired. The second was that He seems to enjoy revealing His preferences to His friends one way or the other.
