this is it. there's a now.

the whole "are you getting to know each other?" question is kind of vague. day by day, aren't we all getting to know each other? for better or worse... so maybe it isn't all getting to know, but rather getting to experience some version of another person that we're up to. lately i've been wondering whether this version of me some see is more accurate, more me than that other version of me that others get to see. what happens when i want to be all versions for all people? how does that happen? or is it already happening? how do i choose who to be with some and not others? but i'll leave those questions now to talk about a more important person. yep, you got it.

Jesus. i want to get to know Jesus better--and Jesus has dimensions, too. you want to know peace, you want to know hope, you want to know truth? you've got to know Jesus--and all of His dimensions. Jesus is this loving man who welcomes children and who washes our feet, but then He's also this stern-faced guy who responds to questions with more questions and leaves us speechless, confounded, desperate to find out what the heck He means and how He knew what we were going through; or He's this guy who tells us to sell everything we own, or who tells us that the poor widow's pennies (or half-pennies) are worth more than gold. and then Jesus is the angry guy who overturns the merchants' tables at the temple, where money has infected the hearts and even minds in a once-pure place. and Jesus is all of these to all people--He is real and He doesn't try to be a certain thing to a certain person for the sake of being well-liked. and, most importantly, Jesus is this guy who is God and God's son at the same time (only God can reveal this truth to a person, yet i find this mention necessary because of the distinction Jehovah's witnesses make concerning Jesus' godship. that Peter called Him, "My Lord and My God..." could only have been revealed by God, but this is necessary).

this may irk you, but Jesus is the only way. some people have a hard time with this--thinking it's intolerant and all that--but that doesn't bother me. in fact, you should have a hard time with this. if it doesn't stir people one way or another to hear that Jesus is the only way to true life, that He died because we aren't enough and we won't make it like we are and that we aren't all fine--something would be off... so i pray that it irks you--that it stops you where you are and causes you to seek your own heart and your own response to this guy Jesus. if you don't know Him, if you don't know what He says, find out. find out. you have to know who He is. start with reading John or Matthew or one of the other gospels. ask God to show you Jesus. ask someone that you know knows Jesus. whatever it takes--find out. i say all this now because this is a binary issue--there is no middle ground. either you believe, or you don't. either He knows you or He doesn't. and you don't want to be someone Jesus never knew when now's your chance. there isn't an almost or a sometimes or a guaranteed tomorrow about it. there's a now.

if you're reading and you've thought about Jesus before, He wants in. say yes and you'll never, never regret it. So please say yes. maybe i sound like an infomercial, but i'm being serious. i don't know who's reading right now and i don't have anyone in mind, but this unexpected post came out tonight--and probably not accidentally. God knows what He's doing. He knows who's reading and He wants in.

much love to you all--

maybe this seems preachy, but i won't apologize for this. i can't apologize for the truth.