The following is a letter written by my beloved. It needs no further introduction or explanation. Enjoy.

February 9, 2013

Hey there You, welcome to Saturday.

Hope all is well in your world. Whew! I tell you what, at my age this world seems to be FLYING by. Every single Saturday I wake up and look back and an entire week is gone….poof. I have been trying to write this letter, this very one you have there in front of you, for an entire week; hard for me to believe. The more I pushed to get it written, the shorter the week got. Sigh.

Yet here we are. Obviously the miraculous happened so let’s move on, shall we? Last week my theme was ‘I just want you to know….’ This letter smacks of ‘In case you missed it the first time……’ As a side note, if you did ‘miss it’ the first time then shame on me.

This letter does not refute the last. Every word was and remains true. I would not erase one line. Still, I need to frame what was previously shared, for there is a greater context in which I operate. If I fail to get this out I fail to communicate at all! So allow me to back up and punt as it were.

‘In case you missed it the first time…..

 I write because I want you to know…….’

                              I hold one truth to be self-evident:

God

If you don’t know this about me then you don’t know me. And, as mentioned before, shame on me. I take full responsibility. My life is not the exemplar sin-free life. Every day I understand just a little bit better what Paul meant when he said, “I die daily.” Every morning I get up, die, get dressed, and try again. As for me, I shall be satisfied when I awake with His likeness. It is never too late to begin again. Sometimes I have to start over with my parents. Sometimes I have to start over with my kids. Sometimes I have to start over with friends and colleagues. And we won’t even mention how often I have to start over with Tim, poor guy. He catches the good, the bad, and the ugly on a daily basis. I am not above owning my oopsy-daisies as well as my blatant, intentional poor judgment. Enough said. You ain’t the Pope and this ain’t confession. Now, where were we? Oh yes,

It is only within this framework, this context that you can fully understand all those things ‘I just want you to know…….’ So after you finish here, re-read the first letter with this new perspective, please.

‘In case you missed it the first time…..

 I write because I want you to know…….’

                              I hold one truth to be self-evident:

God

I have no inclination to prove God’s existence. I can’t.  I don’t have to. He is self-evident.  

Aren’t all of us, you, me, & everyone, intensely and hyper aware that we dwell in one miniscule compartment of an enormous, powerfully energized universe?  Something, Someone is in charge of the ‘daily’ operations. Incomprehensible = A cosmic habitat so vast I can’t visit, buy souvenirs, or even see pictures of the entire phenomenal expanse. The enormity and power of the Creator, Sustainer, CEO is unfathomable. I suspect, however, He is more than a little wizard sanctioned off by a curtain in some Land of Oz

God

You can look God up in Merriam- Webster, Wikipedia and the like. I not only read doctrinal books, but I have Googled, Binged, and Yahoo-ed God. While this is somewhat entertaining, my preferred, personal concept of God is found totally and completely in the name He calls Himself.

There are a bazillion (perhaps a slight exaggeration) names for God. The more familiar names describe different attributes of His being such as All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Almighty. In the early history of the world, shortly after creation, He was often referred to as Adonai and Elohim. Both names emphasize His Lordship as Lord God, and Creator. But my favorite is the name He called Himself in Exodus.

I know you remember the story, but it is one of my very most all-time favorites so I want to repeat it if you don’t mind. God has chosen Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity. Moses’ reply to God’s request is along the lines of, ‘Surely you jest.’ God responds with todays, ‘I got this. I will be with you.’ So Moses gives God this scenario: ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say, The God of your fathers has sent me., and then they say Really now? What is His name? , then what do I say next?’  (And here is my favorite part!):

God says, ‘ I AM THAT I AM.’

You have heard this name as Yahweh or seen this name in text as YHVH or YWHW. Without going into the Hebrew and verb tense studies, suffice it to say the name indicates a connection between the name for being and being itself. I AM is the source of all being and has being in Himself. He is Being. Everything else is contingent being. In other words, all other state of being is provisional, dependent on Him. Everything derives existence from Him.

Now you can understand why I am so drawn to that story. If I never know anything else about God…….. that name, that name I AM leaves me in dumb struck awe and respect.

‘In case you missed it …..’

My approach to life, my approach to death, my approach to our relationship as family, friend, or both is 100% couched in my concept, my understanding, my relationship to this Being who calls Himself

I AM

No doubt you can proclaim the exact same thing. All of us live out this experience called life within our own concept and understanding of I AM. Either God matters to us or He doesn’t and we move on from there.

While He may or may not be your Lord, your God, it doesn’t change who He is, I AM.

‘I just want you know…..

               In case you missed it…..

                              I hold one truth to be self-evident

                                             God.

As with the last correspondence, should you choose not to fold, spindle, or mutilate, then pass this letter on or leave it laying around for someone else to read. If not to marvel at what font I used on the computer, then perchance to contemplate, to consider, to inquire of God as Moses did ……

‘Who are You?’

Shalom,

Tammy