You have never had an extreme closeness to GOD in your life, have you ? ? ?
I will tell you a true story about a time I almost went against GOD"S WILL. BUT first, I need to give you some background on HOW HE MOTIVATED ME TO MOVE TO CALIFORNIA. I was working on the PM shift in the Post OFFICE in Nebraska, the state I was born and raised in. This was several years after I had willingly out of Agape LOVE for HIM, surrendered to HIM, after my Third Attempt At SUICIDE. I had a VERY CLOSE REALATIONSHIP with HIM, and would have an ongoing conversation with HIM, anytime I wanted, and HE would answer me with thoughts that Could ONLY COME FROM HIM.
One night in late 86, I was trying to witness to a co-worker, who made it plain that HE DID NOT WANT TO HEAR any more. All of a sudden, GOD gave me a THOUGHT "IT IS FINISHED, Now I want you to move WEST." And everytime I thought about it, HE PUT IT ON MY HEART TO MOVE WEST. I was born and raised in Nebraska, and wanted to stay right there. A few weeks later I got a big PROMOTION to my Dream Job on the DAY SHIFT. BUT I KNEW GOD WANTED ME TO MOVE WEST. I Knew I Would have to walk away from that Dream Job, and Tranfer to somewhere out west. To make this short, I have to skip by several minor miracles, on HOW HE GOT ME TO MOVE TO CALIFORNIA, the Last PLACE I WOULD EVER WANT TO BECOME A RESIDENT. Just so you know, when You transfer in the POST OFFICE, you go back to ZERO on the Seniority List, and I did it twice in California, just to get to the town where HE WANTED ME.
So this open conversation with GOD, was a Norm in my Spiritual Life. HE WAS GUIDING ME TO START A PRISON MININSTRY. But that is not what I WANT to talk to you about. My wife and I decided one summer that I would go get the Grandkids from Nebraska, and bring them out for a vacation in California. I left California, and made it as far as Elko, NEVADA before spending a Night at a motel. Then next morning I was on the ONRAMP to I-80, at 60 M.P.H., when I noticed a Hitch Hiker on the side of the Onramp. I moved to left of that Onramp to go by him, and when I got by him when the LORD YELLED: "PICK HIM UP!", in a deep audible Voice, and I KNEW WHO IT WAS.
That part of my TESTIMONY, I have told to VERY FEW Friends, mostly very close EVANGELICAL Friends. My MUSCLES REACTED INSTANTLY, jammed on the Brakes as hard as hard as I could, without out thinking a bit. I had all four TIres screaming to a stop, and was sitting there SHAKING, when the Hitch Hiker came running up to the car, opened my passenger car door, and asked, "ARE YOU GIVING ME A RIDE?"
I said to the hitch hiker, "YES, YOU GET INTO THE CAR, because the LORD JUST TOLD ME TO GIVE YOU A RIDE." YES, the LORD intended me to Witness to him, no and's, if's, or maybe's.
Like I said, I left out all kinds of minor miracles, that HE had to do for me to get us to California, to start a Prison Ministry, I mean too many to count, but I knew it was because I TOTALLY TRUSTED HIM FOR LITERALLY EVERYTHING, from the moment I Surrendered to HIM the Night I made my third attempt at Suicide, the 29th of Dec. 1977.