“and He walks with me, and He talks with me”

You may recognize this as a lyric from the hymn, In the Garden. This was one of my mother’s favorites. Every time I hear or sing it, she comes to mind. But what also comes to mind is how this describes a relationship, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For many years I hadn’t, because until you do it is hard to understand. We think of relationships with people that we can see and/or touch. In the Bible it states in 2Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight; and in Hebrew 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. My friends I see Jesus in my mind and definitely feel Him in my heart. I see and feel Him in His Word!

I also see Jesus in all of His creation. On a bright warm sunny day or yes, even in the winters cold with the grayness of the sky. In all His creatures and the beauty of the many colors of the summer flowers. Even in the leaves of the tree changing in the fall. I see Him so often in the children faces, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world!”

One time I was running a little late to do a God’s Love Outreach Ministry program. As I was driving I said, "Jesus, if you can keep the traffic lights green it would truly help me!" Guess what, not one turned red and I got to my destination with a little time to spare. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Now on the way back that was a different story, but if I would of asked and if it would of brought glory and praise to Him they would have been all green also. In the Bible in John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.

Just recently I was at a hospital eating my lunch, by myself, outside of the Skilled Nursing unit at a picnic table, where I was to do a program shortly. I said, “Lord, the next person You bring to this table I will witness to them about You.” Within a few minutes a woman came up to me who was from the Activity department. We started talking and as we did I heard the Lord speak to my heart, “Well, I did my part!” I tried my best to do mine but came up a little lacking due to the fear and the rejection part, that I mentioned in my previous blog. A few days later a friend of mine from church, I was telling this story too and he gave me a small pamphlet that our church was passing out at a community BBQ this summer. He said, “Maybe this will help the next time when you ask the Lord to bring someone to you.” Guess what, that afternoon I was doing a program and a woman came up to me, Jesus wasn’t waiting for me to ask this time, and we started talking about God’s blessings. When I was getting ready to leave I said, “I’ll see you next month.” She said, “Or maybe not!” She said, “I could be dead by then.” I said, “Or maybe I might go first, tomorrow isn’t promised!” I also told her that if she goes first wait by the gate, if I do then I would wait for her. She said she liked that but wasn’t sure she would be in Heaven. I told her, "I have something for you in my pocket that might help her." Out came the pamphlet.

On the way home I was talking with God and said, “Better this time?” His answer in my heart, “We’ve got work to do!”

“And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own! And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other, has ever known!”

From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,

Ed Shagott