Walk The Walk

This is the sound of dry bones rattling
This is the praise make a dead man walk again
Open the grave, I'm coming out
I'm gonna live, gonna live again
This is the sound of dry bones rattling

Rattle - Elevation Worship

A lot has happened since my last blog post; I've been figuring out the best way to describe it. Last year, in one of my D-Group meetings, the guys talked about FaithWalk. 

It was odd how hush-hush they were about what exactly FaithWalk was. They kept telling me that it was something that I just had to experience to understand fully. They also told many stories of food, food, and more food. They said you have no one to blame except yourself if you go to FaithWalk and return hungry. I know now the truth behind that statement. 

Last year, I was indeed on a journey. It was my year to dive into The Word like never before. It was my year to finally figure out and learn the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God. It was my year to finally realize that having a real relationship with Jesus Christ was much more than sitting in a pew or singing a worship song. 

When Covid-19 hit, I learned that they had canceled FaithWalk. The date did not align with my calendar anyway, so I wasn't upset or worried about it because I did not think I would ever be able to commit to missing a few days of work to make this happen.

When my wife, Ashlie, mentioned it to me this year, she wasn't asking—she was telling! She told me she had just signed up and thought it'd be great for me to attend the men's FaithWalk the week before hers. It takes a lot of thought and persuasion to get me to do anything I've never done before, but this time, it did not. I could see the excitement on her face, so I instantly said yes and signed up. 

I must pause long enough to say this if you're still reading. There are a lot of people who have heard of FaithWalk but have never been before. Many people have possibly been turned off by the secretive "we can't talk about it" nature of FaithWalk. I, too, thought it was odd that those guys would only tell me snippets about their experiences. Now that I have experienced it for myself, I understand entirely.  

To tell you all the details about FaithWalk would be like giving you a great big Christmas present in a big shiny box. Before you open it, I will tell you precisely what is in the box. If I knew that what was in that box for you could be life-changing, then there is no way I'd spoil your big shiny box surprise. 

So, if you have been to FaithWalk, then relax. This blog post will not spoil anything for the Believers who have yet to go on a walk, but it will encourage others to figure out how to get there. 

It has been three weeks since my wife and I went to FaithWalk on back-to-back weekends. We haven't stopped talking about it with one another. 

Even though our marriage is new, and we've been dancing through it while in the newlywed phase, this experience has strengthened us in a way we do not think anything else could. 

I also recommend figuring out how to check yourself on your smartphones from time to time and turn them off. The three days of no social media distractions were terrific, and we each deleted Facebook from our phones and promised only to check social media once a week. That has been challenging for both of us. We have made social media a part of our day-to-day life for years. It has been a very significant change that we are very much enjoying. 

Many different things happened at FaithWalk. My story is different from Ashlie's. We each had different experiences. What was the same is that we both came back from it with a better set of eyes and better hearts.  

Sometimes, the most challenging thing in life is moving when we feel God calling us. It took me 41 years to figure that out. Ashlie and I returned from our FaithWalk experiences feeling like we could not sit still or be quiet.

But if I say, "I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name," His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Jeremiah 20:9 NIV

We both felt like God was telling us to move! I don't mean moving locations or even in a physical way. We both returned from our FaithWalk experience feeling like we wanted to go forward and never stop trying to share Christ-like love with everyone.

Sometimes, the most challenging thing in life is moving when you feel God calling us to do so, but I am living proof that it is also the most rewarding.

While I was at FaithWalk, there was a specific person on my mind whom I had known for many years. I know that they do not know Jesus the way that I do. Maybe they do not know Him at all. It took 41 years for me to learn the difference between knowing who Jesus is vs. having a personal relationship with Him. 

I could not stop hearing The Holy Spirit speak about this person. After returning home from FaithWalk, I felt changed. I have always considered my faith a fire that burns inside me. I know I'm not the only one that knows how that feels. Like any fire, if left unattended, it will eventually burn out. My fire was burning, but it certainly is more ablaze in a much better way since my FaithWalk experience. I have a bigger drive to go and shout to the mountaintops while telling others about Jesus. 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:19 NIV

A few days later, I woke up much earlier than usual and wrote an email to this person I had been thinking about and praying about while at FaithWalk. I wasn't asking for a response but wanted them to know how much they were loved. I tried to explain my testimony of how I had finally learned the difference between knowing about Jesus and having a close, personal relationship with Him. In the email, I said that the difference is magnificent. I did not expect an answer, nor was I asking for one. I did end up with a response fairly quickly. The answer I got was that I needed to let it go and that they truly did not want any part of it.

A part of me did not expect any acknowledgment of my letter at all. I wanted to be angry at the response. It took me a minute to realize that God did not put this person on my heart to make me feel angry. I also knew that anger was not the correct reaction. God reminded me that He does not need me to fight His battles for him. 

Something happens when we are awake and actively moving when we are called to do so. 

I pray that we all continue to seek Him and that when we have that notion to move, we indeed move.

If you are reading this, I recommend you scroll up to the top of this blog post or click here to learn more about FaithWalk. 

I realize that if we were all moving, we'd be unstoppable!

People tell me they've tried speaking to God and never seem to get an answer. 

My mother-in-law wrote this to me, and I will never forget it. I want to share it with you. She told me this was God's phone number in case I needed to call it.

My mother in law wrote this to me when I was on my FaithWalk.

Call to me and I will asnwer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Jeremiah 33.3 NIV