When Lightning Strikes

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."     Acts 1:8

Now if you know me at all, you know that I am a bit of a comic book geek. Batman is my favorite, that's no big secret; but there are many other characters that can offer us insight and reflections of the parallels that we may face in this life. There is a DC Comics character that I personally have always thought of as a great representation of the Spirit filled Christian. His name is Billy Batson, a ten year old orphan, who is suddenly bestowed with great magical powers transforming him into the superhero,  
 Captain Marvel.

SHAZAM! Two syllables famous for magically turning a boy into a superpowered adult.

Unlike most foster children, Billy Batson couldn’t care less about finding a family. He just wants to turn eighteen and finally become an adult. While the boy’s compassionate and kind, he’s gotten used to protecting himself by staying emotionally distant from everybody. But that changes when he meets an ancient wizard who introduces him to one very powerful word.

Just by saying SHAZAM!, Billy is transformed into a magical flying adult superhero, one with the genius of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the unbreakable will of Atlas, the lightning blasts of Zeus, the power of Achilles and the speed of Mercury (SHAZAM). But gaining the power of the gods means inheriting their enemies too. With the abilities of the world’s mightiest mortal, Billy will have to struggle with magical threats as well as his own youthful naïveté. To truly tap into his power, this orphan who’s always kept people at arm’s length will have to learn what family really is.

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.     Acts 4:31

I have seen it many times, in others and even myself, lightning strikes and God shows up. Amazing moments of prayer and worship, people are healed, a word of knowledge, transformation... miracles. But as quickly as it comes, it can be gone. That person who in one moment seemed so gifted, so wise and powerful, can in the next moment be as clueless as a ten year old kid. With understanding, you begin to recognize that it's not the person who is great; but the power that resides inside of them, that when called upon has the ability to move mountains. But the lightning attracts attention, it is not subtle, and sometimes we give the credit to the person upon whom the lightning falls and not the God who provides it. That is the thought that began last night, and it is why I chose to write this morning.
Have you ever been close to an actual lightning strike? It is not easily forgotten. You can feel the energy, you hear the air sizzle and then a deafening crack and boom as the air molecules are split by a bolt of brilliant light, and you feel the concussion in your bones. Rarely does one stand unflinchingly in the presence of such raw and awesome power. It is that energy that I am starting to sense, stirring in the atmosphere around me.

I have shared this recently, and believe me when I tell you that it feels like my strength has left me. I don't feel bad, I'm just spent; whatever I may have had stored or built up inside of me has been used to get me through these past few months. But I'm not finished either. It is important to recognize at times like these that my strength must come from the Lord or I will fail in what comes next.
About four months ago, as I sat in the same spot that I am now, God said to me " I am going to make a spectacle of you" and about one week later we found the cancer. God has done some amazing things since then and I believe that what He began with that statement is not coming to an end, but rather is just the beginning. I had been off work for two months following my heart attack, the night I tried returning to work Norma had asked me how I felt about going back. Neither of us have been able to forget my response in that moment, I told her, "I don't know quite how to explain it, but it feels like I'm going back just to say good-bye". Ten hours after that statement I was back in the hospital, and I haven't been back since. Now does it mean that I am never going back, or was it just that it wasn't my time to return yet; I honestly don't know, but my gut tells me that the lightning hasn't struck yet. That is why I felt that it was important to share my thoughts this morning, before the lightning strikes.

I have God given gifts, I have strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else. My life is not extraordinary in any particular way, except for the extraordinary God that is my Father. If any thing spectacular were to come from all of this it will not be from any special trait of mine, but rather that the Lord chose to let the lightning fall. It is important that I give God the Glory for all that has happened and what is still yet to come. At the end of the day, I'm just an oversized kid that still dreams of being a hero. I pray that my heart is pure, and any glory that may surround me will only be used to shine a light on the One who deserves all glory and praise, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.