NinetyNine 4 One

"Is this all just a joke, or is God doing this to us on purpose?"

That is what was scrawled on the side of a port-a-potty wall. How ironic that I felt my life was in the crapper and there it was the summation of my feeling in a question on an outhous wall!

I stood there staring at the question repeating it over and over again. I needed to know the answer. I wanted to know why I was hard and bitter now. I wanted to know if there really was a God and if there was, was he truly a loving God or just a mean kid with an ant farm and a magnifying glass.

I needed to know what the truth was about the truth. Not the man made formula, or the do's and don'ts or what tradition said. I needed Truth, the "director's cut."

I guess that was the beginning. That day marked the beginning of the rediscovery of self and a rediscovery of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

My wife and I have weathered many turbulent situations together. Situation mixed with betrayal and other very painful situations sent us on a journey that can only be accurately described as going through Hell.

We went through hell, but we found our way out despite being lost there for several years. I know what it is like to be lost in hell

On life's journey, no one chooses to go the difficult or painful path it just happens. One day you looked down for a second and when you looked up a sign said: "Now Entering Hell" and the next thing you know you are experiencing an insufferable situation. You are in fact lost.

You might be lost and going through your own version of 'hell" right now right now and if you are not, you will one day.

Fact: Life just happens and sometimes it happens hard…real hard.

I don't know why whatever it is that you have experienced has occurred, but I can tell you this; there is more to life then the garbage, and the insufferable and frequent journeys through hell. We have sifted through the garbage; we have been up to our necks in muck and debris of life, and you know what? We survived.

You can survive too.
Jesus knows what it is like. He feels the way we feel. He deliberately went on a journey to walk in our shoes. On that journey he felt;
he wept, he got angry, nervous and weary. His final moments on the cross he anguished out to his father

Why have you forsaken me...?" (Matthew 27:46)

"I am thirsty…" (John 19:28)

"I am through…" (John 19:30)

God knows.

God knows what it is like when someone far inferior to himself takes credit for his creation, he knows what it is like to love someone unconditionally and not get swat in return. God knows too well what it like feel sorrow and rejection. God knows what it is like to say the same things for years and have no one listen. He knows how if feel to be unappreciated. God know about family, friends. He knows about mean spirited individuals and he knows what it is like to be betrayed.

He knows, he feels, he understands your fear and pain as well as your questions, doubts and anger. You know what else? He is not scared that you have these feeling. So go ahead and have you feeling.

I think what really does bother God is when we believe that we are just too broken and malfunctioning to be fixed. Well, we are not like a toy to him that gets broken and discarded. No, we are his masterpieces that he cherishes and loves.

If you could possibly degenerate to place and be of no value to God then his son would have not have had to die on the cross in your place to, for all intends and purposes "fix you." We do have a redemptive value and he will fix us if…we will let him.

Oh and the whole being lost thing…you are never lost with God. You are always on his GPS. He knows where you are…and he knows you.

Don't be scared. He like you just the way you are and you were never lost…just unfound.

Maybe you were once part of the Church or group of people that called themselves followers of Christ and the experience ended in an unfavorable way. Maybe you even said "never again." to church, God, Jesus, the bible. I want you to know that that is okay too.

I said all those things and I still ran into God one day in my unfound malfunctioning contention and he tossed me an invite back. No questions asked.

I think that you navigated your way to this page for a reason, for some answers, so here goes.

I dare you to step outside of yourself…I dare you to breath a quick word to God and ask him to show the truth about the truth. I dare you to use this site to find other who have journey down the dirt roads of hell and see what they have learned, discovered and how they got back.

Who knows… maybe, just maybe, we will discover the "truth about the truth". Perhaps we can answer the question:

Is this all a joke or is God doing this to us on purpose?

I double dog dare you!

Rude Dog