Experiencing God

Recently I read a children's book with adorable cat pictures: No Fuzzball! by Isabella Kung.

I decided to check for other works. It looks like there is only one other that she has written, but a few others that she has illustrated for other writers. 

This is not at all uncommon for artists. Usually it is a matter of getting hired by the publisher, without any previous connection to the material. You can't judge an illustrator by that, but I was still somewhat taken about to see the title Sammy Experiences Jesus, written by Thomas Blackaby and Rick Osborne.

From Goodreads:

Sammy remembers “asking Jesus into his heart” when he was very young. However, he's often wondered what it means to have “Jesus inside his heart.” When Zack and Tina, Sammy's good friends at school, ask him about this same phrase, he isn’t sure how exactly to answer their questions. So, Sammy decides to go on another adventure with his Grandpa Henry, this time to experience Jesus. Grandpa figures out what Sammy's adventure is about and starts to teach him what it means to experience Jesus and have a real relationship with God’s Son.

For ages 4 to 8, Sammy Experiences Jesus is a classically illustrated children's book inspired by the Experiencing God teachings of Henry Blackaby.

Regardless of my own feelings about "asking Jesus into his heart", I do think there is an important question there. For those who think asking is all that is required, how do they know that it is working? Just assuming seems like it wouldn't be satisfying. 

That's when I kind of thought that maybe we need a children's book for how being a member of the church should feel, after you have been baptized and confirmed. That thought was quickly replaced by maybe we need that kind of book for adults more.

I am not proclaiming to have a definitive answer for that, but I think it is worthwhile to ask ourselves if we are "experiencing" God. That can act as a status check for where we are spiritually now, which is important. In addition, the act of identifying how experiencing God feels for us may help us later identify when it is happening less. That could be even more important.

One thing that occurred to me is that it might be useful to think about all three members of the Godhead in turn.

Heavenly Father: Do I feel that I am the child of a loving Heavenly Father? Do I feel love for Him in return? Can I open up to him naturally in prayer? Do I find joy and wonder in creation? Do I believe that what I do matters? Do I feel love for His other children, and know that they are my siblings?

Jesus Christ: Have I repented and felt forgiveness through the Atonement? Praying in the name of Jesus Christ, do I feel able to approach Heavenly Father because Jesus will mediate between us? Do I feel something when I think of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane? Do I believe in the resurrection, knowing not only that I will live again, but that I will see those others lost through death again?

The Holy Ghost: Do I feel a witness when learning and thinking about things that are true? Do I know how that witness feels to me? Do I find myself getting ideas and warnings and guidance as part of my normal life?

That last one is probably the strongest proof for me, in that the inspiration that comes to me is a strong sign of my experience and part of my testimony. However, that might not be the strongest for someone else, especially someone busy and distracted. They might still have very strong faith in other ways.

All I can really say is that I know that it is important, so I know that it is worth thinking about.

As always, I like this scripture as a guide:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. -- Galatians 5:22-23