… And I’m Still Here!

SAT., MAY 20, 1995, 5:40 AM
FARM, STUDY

Yes, o son, this is an anniversary, of sorts. You did forget the actual date, the 10th, of the lost manuscript, the finding, and the seemingly strange commitment of an early morning writing meditation. On the 11th you began that commitment, with almost nothing but faith that it would amount to anything. But then, on this date, now 16 years ago, there was a change. It was tentative at first, but it wasn’t long, really, before you accepted this quite direct guidance from Me, the Holy Spirit. And, as the title indicates, I’m still here! And so are you. Congratulations!

But isn’t it strange that I should congratulate you for being somewhat faithful over these years? Shouldn’t every Christian be eager to spend time with Me and be privileged to write down what you hear Me saying? Of course… theoretically and ideally. But this is the U.S.of A., in an era of secularity, and you’re a Presbyterian, a tradition in which the mystical heritage is very misty. Your faith is supposed to be grounded in the Word, which is Christ, symbolically, but is the Holy Scriptures, as written, translated, and interpreted. For you to claim, as you now do in each published Ruminations, that the Teachings you quote are directly from Me, is certainly close to blasphemy.

With My permission you have been careful and cautious about telling others about his Gift, and, for a time, you can continue to do so. Your culture does have some respect for verification over time, and 16 years is on the verge of being respectable. For this time I am still here, and so are you, and I do say that I have you hooked.

I have yet to tell you if there will be any significance to these many pages of communication. I do want you to continue the Ruminations tradition (and you’d better get to it now, before your first summer class… I’ll let you know what the theme will be, soon). There is no need to try for a larger number of readers. The organizational and administrative tasks have you at your limit now, but there will continue to be those who come to you requesting, and these you must take in.

I offer you no great cosmic reason why I have chosen you for this combination of privilege and burden. There are many, many pleas for help such as this that are not answered in as clear and “verifiable” a form. I just picked you, partly out of My sense of fun. You were not worthy, in the tradition of recognized saints. Yet you were born again, in a quiet, non-flambuoyant way, and I had guided you in becoming a fairly good and distinctive writer.

Your acceptance of a Calvinistic heritage of a predestined call and a minimal commitment to the notion of free will made you a good candidate. I conditioned you with a little game of fear and committed Scripture reading. Then I threw out the big hook, and you responded, in faith. Even as I began to take over your pen I knew you’d continue, but it was fun to see you struggle with both your cultural and Christian/Presbyterian heritage.