SEEING CHRIST IN EACH OTHER

These pictures were taken last Saturday night when I went to go visit Annette.  She had this spurt of energy and had been praising the Lord and dancing with each of her children, siblings and friend. Sharing her heart with each of them.  She was just finishing up when I had arrived.

I was there for about four hours along with allot of her family and friends.  When I went to leave Karen wanted to get a picture of Annette and I.  Just as we were getting ready Annette looks at me and says; "Who are you?"  Then she goes on to thank me for coming and basically she is seeing the Lord Jesus in Me!  This has happened before when she is in extreme pain with a few others.  You can tell by the intensity of her eyes by looking at the pictures above.  

I can't remember every thing she said but it was mystical!  Then she transitions and it's like the Lord is speaking to your through her.  In the second picture you can see her touching my hair.  She is looking at me like a new parent gazes on their new born child.   She told me that I have my father's eyes and that my hair was beautiful.

She then went on to share with me the message she has been telling everyone.  I am perfect in Christ!  I am His creation so I can't perfect that.  That I need to appreciate and love myself as He does.  She said  of course original sin gets in there but we need to love what He has created.  She says we make God to complicated and that He loves us right where we are.

The message she is giving is so much like what St.Therese talks about especially in the book: "Everything is Grace"  : The life and Way of St. Therese of Lisieux.  God is a God of Mercy!  Often times we as Christians are way to hard on ourselves.  I personally think this is a way that  Satan keeps us in bondage.  We are to be Free in Christ!  So many of us walk around all bogged down.  I know that life has different stages and it can be very hard!  But do we really let Christ live through us and the Holy Spirit guide and direct us?

Annette also told me to pray each day.  To start with a half an hour and to work my way up to at least an hour each day.  God wants go communion with me...yes me and you!  How exciting is that!  These past years I have been so drained and I know allot of it is because I've been running on my own steam!  Relying on my self and not faithfully going to the Lord.  Proverbs 3:5:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding"

That experience with Annette was life changing!  I keep thinking of the intensity with which she looked at me and loving me!  God used her to show me just how much He loves me!  It's a reminder of how we are to be Christ to each other!  How we are to love the lovable and the unlovable.  How we as Annette are signs pointing to Jesus.

The next morning which was Sunday I get a text from Karen saying that Annette wants to travel from Portland back to her Church  in Grand Rapids so that she can sing with her group at mass!  Yes she held her guitar and sang at mass again!  We have it on video  tape!  As she was going up to receive Jesus in the Eucharist she collapsed.  When she got back to her seat she mouthed to Karen, "perfect".

What she meant by that has been a part of her message all along.  We can not do anything with out

Jesus Christ!  In reality we can do nothing.  If God were to stop thinking about us we would no longer exist and that is the reality.  Most of live in a false sense of reality thinking we are in control or our life and our destination. 

Annette has often said that she was grateful for the cancer because it is just a reminder that she can do nothing on her own and needs God for everything.  That in our weakness He is made strong. St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:

"And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

I and others have witnessed how Annette's Yes to God and not being afraid of her weakness has allowed our Lord to work so powerfully through  and in her.  I pray that I can be as strong as her and be willing to be weak so that Christ can truly work in and through me like my dear friend Annette.