Read it and weep.

This entry has nothing to do with running. I just thought I would share something on my heart. I wanted to talk about a verse that has been so helpful in times when I find myself asking God, "Where are you?"...... I made up this story in an effort to wrap my head around a verse that made me very aware of God's presence and blew my mind.

A military Dad is separated from his wife and twin sons while at war over seas. He is a great Dad and is devastated that he has to miss out on so much of his boy's lives. He writes letters to them each day and is so proud that they are learning how to read. Before the boys could read he colored pictures for them. Colorful drawings of places he had traveled friends he had made. He wanted to be known by his sons. Each time he came home it made it that much harder to leave. Against all odds this wonderful military Father maintained a healthy long distance relationship with his wife and sons. Every day he poured out his heart writing letters to his sons telling them all about himself and how much he loved them. Years passed and the Father realized his sons had grown into men, he did everything in he could to make quality time to invest in his relationships with his sons while he was home.

During one of his breaks he noticed one of his sons was distant and uninterested in hanging out. The Father found out his son that was distant had thrown away all of his letters and stopped reading them several years ago. This grieved the Father because the letters were straight from his heart and even though his son couldn't see him face to face each day the words were who the Father is. He thought about getting made fun of by fellow soldiers for coloring pictures for his sons before they could read and still he didn't care because it was worth it. He thought about how he had written things specifically for each son as an individual and not as twin. He was the most sad that his son had rejected an opportunity to get to know him. He was vulnerable, honest all of his words were true and full of love for his sons.

One of the boys cherished the letters although he wished he could hear his Dad audibly and touch his skin he made the best of the situation. At times it was as if he really heard His Dad's laugh, saw his smile or felt his hug. This son not only accepted the letters but clung to each word and used the letters to build a relationship with his Dad and understand his Father's heart.

The other son focused on his Dad's physical absence and rejected the letters. In that decision he also rejected a chance to get to know his Dad in the only way possible for the time being.

Revelation 19:13 says-He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Phrases like "read me like a book" make me feel uncomfortable. It's my pride, I don't mind being read to a certain extent but we all have those chapters and words we would like to ignore or erase all together. At least I do. What if I choose to be an open book and my readers don't like the book. What if my readers throw up or fall asleep. What if my readers exchange the book or throw it away. All of my days are written in His book- Psalm 139:16. The Word has made Himself an open book to me through the bible. Jesus in the form of the written Word (the bible) came alive to me like never before as I tried to wrap my head around His NAME being called The Word of God. Does that also imply that His identity his very being is the Word of God the bible?

Revelation 19:13-He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his Name is The Word of God.

The One wearing a robe dipped in blood who is named The Word of God is Jesus. Jesus is the Word and the bible is our letters from our Father. The Way to build a relationship with Jesus our Father. The Way to hear from God the Way to know God.

John 14:6- Jesus is the Way the truth and the life and nobody comes to the Father but through Him.

The Message John 1:1-2-The Word was first, the Word was present to God, God was present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.

Hebrews 10:7 "I'm here to do it your way, O God, the way it's described in your Book. -Book is capitalized to communicate that it is a name, a PERSON the person speaking... Jesus...

Hebrews 4:12-For the Word of God is living and active.
EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE WAS RECORDED IN YOUR BOOK.
Let's go for a run!