Picture Revelations ~ Number Nine

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Monday night, I pulled out the book How We Believe by Michael Shermer. A friend sent it to me, along with a couple other books, over a year ago. (Thanks Dawson!) It's been sitting on my shelf awaiting my eyes.  The time must be ripe;  I'm enjoying it immensely.

While reading it tonight, I got to thinking about "the personal relationship with God" or "with the Lord" or "with Jesus Christ." I recall those warm fuzzy feelings. I recall thinking I knew when God was at work within me.  I experienced when results would come seemingly out of 'nowhere.' I recall getting picture revelation two different times in my life and can describe it to this day. It was clear, precise, and accurate. I can't deny those things; they happened and/or I felt them.

BUT.....is it a relationship with God/the Lord/Jesus Christ/Whatever spiritual entity one wants to call it? Or is it a relationship with a belief, that causes the comfort, the warm fuzzies so to speak?

I used to tell people that when I spoke in tongues in my private prayer life, it was like making love with God - not sexually but intimately. Silenty praying in tongues was that intimate to me.  It was comforting.  For me, it was real.  It still is at times.

The answers, from seemingly nowhere at just the right time - which happen even more since I've left The Way, since I've quit speaking in tongues on a regular basis, since I've quit reading my Bible, since I've quit praying in the manner of "thanking the Father" for this or that - do those incidents occur because of supernatural intervention or rather because of innate human qualities of "pattern-seeking" and "self-organization" and perhaps intuition?

Then one has to define what one means by "intuition." Personally I think it's another sense, like the five traditional ones that we humans have.  Who ever decided we only have five senses?  We probably have a bunch.

On the other side of the coin, I also recall that there were a multitude of times I didn't get results when I needed them or prayed or whatever. Yet, I can't specifically recall those like I can the times I received the answers.

Perhaps the 'revelation' and answers are chance.  But the times the answers were there, seemingly out of nowhere...well, they were just too damn specific for me to be able (at this moment) to chalk up to chance.  I don't think the serendipities are "special" or even necessarily of supernatural intervention.  I think I think that they can all be explained within the realms of pattern seeking, intuitive sense, and life.  Oh and that "self-organizing" stuff.

Some may say or think that takes the zest out of life; depletes the thrill, the mystery, the wonder of it all.  For me it doesn't.  For me?  The self-organizing and pattern seeking, the intuitive sense, life happenings - are rich, and full, and lush with exploration and discovery.

I've always loved patterns.  Like the number nine.  What a fascinating number....casting out nines.
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