PHOTO EPISTLES #23 – Getting Divine Directions

On one of my visits to the Big Island to Guest Teach at YWAM’s University of the Nations, I picked up a book left in my room called God Is That Really You? Written by Loren Cunningham, Founder of YWAM. The read is the story of how YWAM came about and it’s early trials. In one chapter, Loren and his wife Darlene were spending the weekend fasting and praying with Joy and Jim Dawson seeking God for specific direction with YWAM. During the prayer, one of them was given a visual of a map and shown where to go. I was so impressed with this idea and being designed by God to respond visually, I decided to give it a try. I had always wanted to photograph a volcano erupting and Kilauea was erupting big time. I was in Kona so heading south and then east was the natural way to go, but the road to Hilo was cut off by lava flow, so I either approach the volcano from the west which was about a 2 hour drive or from the east which required driving to North side of Hawaii and then East/South, then back west…about a four hour drive. After spending about 45 minutes in prayer I saw a map of Hawaii in my mind and the northern route was on fire. Not being the direction I wanted to go, I found myself asking the same question…God, is that really you? I decided to just trust that I had heard from God…visually and took off on the long way there. Not only did I get exactly what I was hoping for, but I literally found a route that took me to the edge of the lava flow as it drooled into the ocean.

Not long after this experience, The Dawson’s son, John, came to my church to speak one evening. The time was wonderful and the Holy Spirit was on the move. After John finished, I just sat at the back of the church admiring my family in Christ as they all were enjoying each other in different conversations. The church was filled with joy and laughter, when suddenly I could feel Jesus sitting next to me and I heard him invite me to walk and pray with him to my house about five miles away. My response of course was ok and then I saw a map with a line moving the exact way He wanted me to walk. It was 10 pm so I decided to say bye to friends and thank John. The Lord had told me to tell John  to write a book about what he spoke on. When I delivered the message, John smiled and reached over and grabbed his notes. At the top of the page, he had written, “God says to write a book on this subject”, which he later did called “Healing Americas Wounds”.

The way home was very interesting. As we walked a few blocks from the church, I began to sense pain coming from one house and was led to stop and pray for those inside. After about 20 minutes, I felt released to walk on. Soon, we were walking by a convenience store, again the Holy Spirit instructed me to go inside the store and share Christ with the clerk. We crossed the street and for about an hour I shared Christ with this very nice man from India. Once again I clearly felt released to move on. My Indian friend promised to consider Christ as we headed out the door. After a few twist and turns down city blocks we found ourselves in front of the largest high school in Austin, Texas. There the Holy Spirit had me intercede almost for two hours. When released to head on, I wanted to stay and continue fighting for the kids in the spirit, but I felt that tug to obey and off we went. When we reached the end of the street at a T section, About two stop lights down the road were some headlights coming our way. The Lord told me it was my neighbor David and gave me specific things he wanted to me to pray on his behalf and prophesied a future promise for him. As the Holy Spirit finished, sure enough, it was David driving by at about 3 am. I was really surprised he did not see me and even more so that he was up since construction was his business and he was usually out the door by 6 am. Now I’m marveling at what God was doing on this walk of ours. Just as we turned onto a busy street, with my bible in hand, a taxi driver with his windows down mockingly yells out “hallelujah!”. Immediately the Holy Spirit says “I want you to tell him about me”. I’m dumbfounded, because the guy is already a block way driving at 45 mph. I just said I need you to stop him so I can. I kid you not, the taxi then about slams on his brakes and whips into a parking lot which also happens to be exactly in the path given to me ahead of time. I just started laughing and then yelled out “I LOVE YOU JESUS!” So, off we went, walked my route and The Holy Spirit tells me what to say as we walk up to the taxi. I startled the guy when I said “hey” and then continued with “So, your a Christian”. Man was this guy embarrassed and squirming. He responded that he probably wasn’t a Christian like me and then went off on this crazy new age/darwinism mix with Christianity…sort of belief. It also just so happened to be the perfect setup for what Jesus had told me to share with him ahead of time. I politely asked if I could share with him what God told me to share with him? He was fine with that since his radio was on the fritz, however  just until his radio started working again, then he had to run to a pickup. So I asked the Holy Spirit to jam his radio silently and began sharing what would take about thirty minutes to share. Literally, the second I finished sharing the word with him, his radio began functioning again. He was genuinely appreciative of what I had to share and even allowed me to say a quick prayer for him, which was “Lord I pray that Tim’s life on earth will will be his Hell, rather than his Heaven”. At that Tim drove off and we continued our walk to my house. Shortly thereafter someone was bringing out their trash to the street and The Holy Spirit told me to tell him “Jesus loves them”. Can you believe I actually chickened out and just said Hi. Man, I started beating myself up. Come on after what had happened so far and I wimp out on “Jesus loves you”….GEEEEEZ! I could just feel Jesus laughing at me as we continued walking. Soon, on a very dark street, there is this huge black man coming my way. Like a little kid grasping for his daddy’s hand, I start reaching out to Jesus. Jesus comforts me and tells me to tell him He loves him. I’m not chickening out again! As this man is just in front of me, I stop walking and say hey. He stops and says WHAT! I bleated out like a little lamb “Jesus love you”. This big scary dude then flashes me a smile that lights up the pre dawn darkness around us and says “I know He does, I’m your brother!” He then gives me this big hug and we continued on. I stopped and yelled back to him “See you at Dads House”. He looked back and pointed at me saying “You’re on!”. The rest of the trip home was quiet. I slipped into bed next to my wife Leslie and sensed Jesus watching over me as I quickly fell asleep. I was hooked, from now on forget the maps, I’ll just wait on God to show me the way. Psalm 143:8 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

the Jesusfreak