{"id":2439,"date":"2013-10-20T19:13:36","date_gmt":"2013-10-20T18:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/omily.me\/?p=2439"},"modified":"2013-10-21T14:42:19","modified_gmt":"2013-10-21T13:42:19","slug":"story-jesus-bethany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omily.me\/en\/story-jesus-bethany\/","title":{"rendered":"The story of Jesus and me ~ by Bethany"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Bethany Grizzard : Imago Dei. Jesus Follower. Dreamer. Beat Photographer. Avid Reader. Adventure seeker. Travel junkie. Art lover. Advocate for justice. Lover of people. You can visit her at duoimagery.com<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Bethany\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I starting knowing Jesus when I was really young. Both my parents are passionate Jesus followers and as their greatest gift to their children, they introduced him to us. It was subtle and sweet, just what a child would be able to understand, and by the time I was only six years old I discovered that I wanted him to be my friend. It was at Christmas time, and we were celebrating advent. We would light a candle and read part of a story, talking about what Jesus went through to rescue us.<\/div>\n
\"JoshBethany\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

?I remember it so clearly. I was taking a shower and about to jump into my snuggly Christmas pj?s when I realized I wanted to tell Jesus he can live inside of me. I came out and told my parents and they helped me ask him to, and I know from that moment he did.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Being so little, my relationship came in stages, but I?m glad it did. You never get to really know someone overnight, and that?s how it was with me and Jesus.
\nI slowly started hearing his voice more and more through the beauty that is around me. I sense God in nature and beauty more than anywhere else.<\/p>\n

I grew up on a mountain and have lived in the desert, the prairie and the woods since. Because of living in nature, I spent a lot of time in the woods or wandering through the desert or climbing up a mountain or playing in a creek. It was in these moments that I most deeply learned to listen to Jesus and to speak to him openly and freely, like a friend. I feel his touch in the wind, I hear his whisper in the trees, I taste him in the mountain air and cool water of a stream.<\/p>\n

When I became a teenager I went through a time trying to be someone I was not, to try to impress God by how I acted and looked and how pleased people in my church were by me. I became distanced from Jesus and was focused completely on me and being good on my own. After a few years of this I realized how empty, hollow and sad it was and gave it up. I let it go. It was then that I felt him again like I hadn?t since I was a child. When I discovered him again like that, I?ve never let go since. I?d learned the hard way and I wasn?t going to do it alone ever again.<\/p>\n

I feel like to really tell the story of Jesus in me I would need pages and pages. But I?m back to the raw friendship with him. Listening to him in the wind, seeing him in the colors, feeling him in the water. Becoming one. Learning that he is my identity, that all that truly is me is this: Imago Dei. I am created in his image and loved just because I am. I am truly known and truly loved, and that makes me free.<\/p>\n

\"BethanyJohn\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Be
\nHere in the free
\nWe could just be
\nFinally
\nWe?ll chase the sun
\nNaked we?ll run
\nWe could be free
\nFinally<\/p>\n

Momentary carbon stories
\nFrom the ashes
\nFilled with holy ghost
\nLife is here now
\nBreathe it all in
\nLet it all go
\nYou are earth and wind<\/p>\n

-excerpts from gungor<\/p>\n

This post is part of my 31 days series ‘More like My Father’.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The series has stories?in which people of all kinds of backgrounds share how they got to know the Lord, and how He can change our life.?<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

To go to the series page for links to the other posts, click?here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"MoreLikeMyFather\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Bethany Grizzard : Imago Dei. Jesus Follower. Dreamer. Beat Photographer. Avid Reader. Adventure seeker. Travel junkie. Art lover. Advocate for justice. Lover of people. You can visit her at duoimagery.com <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

I starting knowing Jesus when I was really young. Both my parents are passionate Jesus followers and as their greatest gift to their children, they introduced him to us. It was subtle and sweet, just what a child would be able to understand, and by the time I was only six years old I discovered that I wanted him to be my friend. It was at Christmas time, and we were celebrating advent. We would light a candle and read part of a story, talking about what Jesus went through to rescue us. <\/p>\n

?I remember it so clearly. I was taking a shower and about to jump into my snuggly Christmas pj?s when I realized I wanted to tell Jesus he can live inside of me. I came out and told my parents and they helped me ask him to, and I know from that moment he did.<\/p>\n

Being so little, my relationship came in stages, but I?m glad it did. You never get to really know […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126,47],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Story of Jesus and me ~By Bethany<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Story of Jesus and me ~By Bethany\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bethany Grizzard : Imago Dei. Jesus Follower. Dreamer. Beat Photographer. Avid Reader. Adventure seeker. Travel junkie. Art lover. Advocate for justice. Lover of people. You can visit her at duoimagery.com   I starting knowing Jesus when I was really young. Both my parents are passionate Jesus followers and as their greatest gift to their children, they introduced him to us. It was subtle and sweet, just what a child would be able to understand, and by the time I was only six years old I discovered that I wanted him to be my friend. It was at Christmas time, and we were celebrating advent. We would light a candle and read part of a story, talking about what Jesus went through to rescue us. ?I remember it so clearly. I was taking a shower and about to jump into my snuggly Christmas pj?s when I realized I wanted to tell Jesus he can live inside of me. I came out and told my parents and they helped me ask him to, and I know from that moment he did. Being so little, my relationship came in stages, but I?m glad it did. 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