Prior Experience Required

ex·pe·ri·ence Pronunciation Key (k-spîr-ns)
n 1. The apprehension of an object, thought, or emotion through the senses or mind: a child's first experience of snow.
2.a. Active participation in events or activities, leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill: a lesson taught by experience; a carpenter with experience in roof repair.
b. The knowledge or skill so derived.
Dictionary.com

I have been contemplating the power of "experience" lately. How interesting that it would come up in such a powerful way this past Tuesday. On that evening I attended a creative movement and worship class held by the members of The Ballet Magnificat. During this event, the teacher stated that in order for us to be creative, we must deal with our experiences. As we moved around the room, we were called to express, through "creative" motion, emotions, questions, our names. But this was very difficult for the members of the class who were very young (our ages ranged from six or seven to... well... older!) At one point, the teacher pointed me out and said that he detected great facial expression from me, probably due to my "years" granting me more "experiences".

My musings on experience were triggered by ponderings on how we are to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God loves us. Love is abstract, not tangible, not provable. Yet, I believe that God wants us to KNOW that we are loved. I did not experience walking physically beside Jesus as John did to know that I am beloved. I did not experience watching him die on the cross so that I might know that this is the greatest love, that a friend lay down his life for his friends. But experience is how I come to KNOW something. According to Dictionary.com, it is how I apprehend, take hold, understand a concept. I "experience" it through my mind or senses. So I am left to ponder how I know his love through what I do experience.

God gave me five senses. This time of year, they are overwhelmed by his creation- He is the ultimate in "creativity". He gave me eyes to see the beauty around me. Ears to hear the birds, the laughter of children, the sweet words of friends. Taste to experience apples, chocolate and kisses. Smell to experience flowers, fresh cut grass and the fresh cleanness after the rain. Touch to feel the softness of my son's pet rabbit, the strength of my husband's muscles, the warmth and power of the sun. I believe He gave us these five senses so that we could experience Him through his expression of himself- his creation.

I cannot experience with my five senses, the glorious physical presence of God. No one can. God knows this. He has always made his presence known to people in ways they could experience with their senses. Moses saw the flames, perhaps felt the heat from the burning bush. He heard God's voice with his ears. Elijah experienced God through hearing and touch in the gentle whisper of a breeze. These are the ways God has provided for us to experience Him because His physical presence is more than we can bear in our sinful state. Isaiah knew this when he said,"Woe is me...for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!" (Isaiah 6:5)

Do you ever think that creation went just a little overboard sometimes? I mean, look at the ridiculousness of some of it (giraffes, platypusses); the vastness (stars we can't see, planets too far away to be appreciated); the grandiosity (the Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls); the diversity (tropical fish, hundreds of different species of ants!) Was this all necessary? Wouldn't we all be just fine with just one species of ant? (preferrably not fire ants!) I beleive this is His way of telling us how important it is that we know Him and experience his love for us. It's how excited He is to express to us that He loves us. We can look at Him and tell Him it wasn't necessary, He "shouldn't have", but we know, deep down, that we appreciate it- that it makes us feel loved, desired, wanted.

So I have a few years on my counterparts in a dance class. Good for me. All the more to experience the love of my God!