encounter
[en-koun-ter]
-verb (used with object)
1. to come upon or meet with, esp. unexpectedly: to encounter a new situation.
2. to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.): We encounter so many problems in our work.
3. to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict: We will encounter the enemy at dawn.
-verb (used without object)
4. to meet, esp. unexpectedly or in conflict: We were angry when we encountered, but we parted with smiles.
-noun
5. a meeting with a person or thing, esp. a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting: Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.
6. a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle: Another such encounter and we may lose the war.
7. Psychology. a meeting of two or more people, as the members of an encounter group or a number of married couples (marriage encounter), conducted to promote direct emotional confrontations among the participants, esp. as a form of therapy (encounter therapy).
This weekend I’ll be over at the Confluence Conference with the Georgia BCM’s. I’m leading a “seminar” on creating authentic encounters with God. My posts have been kinda lite this week because I’ve been spending lots of my free time working on the content. That continues to be the case today. So, I thought I’d take a minute to just ask you a simple question.
What was the last authentic encounter you had with God?
I have felt the Lord’s presence more this year than ever, knowing full well there is nothing different except for my observance. At the beginning of this year, I distinctly heard Him tell me this would be a year of faith. My was pretty much mine, even though I claimed it was His. So I went through January worried about the economy and possible job loss, but being comforted by His affirming. I hit late January and lost my job, getting a new job in my home city within the week. I learned that new place in life wasn’t for me so I moved back to my real home, realizing that the Lord was teaching me to trust Him the whole time. No job, no direction and still trusting…faith that He has always provided. Today I am where I love to be, making just enough to live but realizing that the Father holds me in his hand, guiding me and sometimes honing and disciplining me. He has proved himself to be ever faithful.