God-bonks

It's been entirely too long since I've blogged, but...life.  We have been getting our church on and then some, what with all the extra discipleship classes we've been taking.  And although it's a little overwhelming and exhausting, it continues to trigger that spark of curiosity that helps me to stay close to God, that endless need for questions answered.  I love getting other people's take because it always gives me a chance to ask questions and seek answers.  But we got into a quick discussion today about "God-bonks".  You know, that moment when God bonks you on the head with the reminder of his presence.  Other people refer to them as "God-winks" but in my case, God tends to work with less subtlety, knowing that I'm too dense to catch on to a wink, and likely only able to actually notice a bonk.  Well, as we recited story after story, I realized just how lucky I am to have so many God-bonk stories.  If I were to recap my most profound ones in order of occurrence, they would go something like this:

1. having recurring nightmares for six months after my grandfather's wake, with macabre visions of his lifeless body - only for him to visit me in a dream to inform me that heaven is real and he is in it
2. anaphylactic shock as a teenager due to sudden penicillin allergy - the realization of something greater out there and the official end of my days of atheism
3. speeding on the highway on a college night when a raccoon runs in front of my car, and I do a 180 trying to avoid him, while going over 75mph...but I somehow manage to bring the car to a safe stop without crashing it or hitting the median, and all of the traffic behind me stops safely, as well.  And the raccoon got away safely.
4. reading the medical portion of The Case For Christ in my parked car, and breaking down completely into tears from it, with the epiphany that this whole Jesus thing is not actually complete BS
5. a redwood tree falling just across the river from us during our wedding reception - 'nuff said
6. realizing that, after the months of tears, phone calls, research, work, and worry, our son will indeed get the help he needs in order to thrive - standing next to the car, bawling with relief, unable to even call my husband yet with the good news because I'm crying so hard, I can't talk
7. and this picture below. A day that I was in a bit of spiritual turmoil and God, in his not-so-subtle manner, showed me that he's got me covered and everything is alright.

I know there are dozens and dozens that I'm forgetting, but these are some of the big ones.  And I'm just taking a moment tonight to thank God for the fact that He knows me so well, He knows the only way to get me to listen is to bonk me over the head with it.  My life is full of more riches than I deserve.  What a beautiful thing, to be aware of Him, and full with gratitude.