When God immerses your life in His presence

Its a beautiful day out today. The sun, the colour, the lingering of one season and the merging into another. With all of those great things, October 3rd is a little more than that for me. Its the birthday of a very special friend of mine, Chris. I first met Chris when he applied to Master's Commission during the years I was directing. He came hungry for Christ, for growth in the presence of JESUS. We watched as he began to grow and grow, more and more. He became an example without realizing it to other students, to the youth groups we were involved with and even Pastors we were connected to. The example was that every aspect of his character was visibly being transformed into the likeness of Christ. It was raw and painful, but yet he kept clinging to the Word and standing on the truth of God's words to him. It was evident that his hunger for Christ's presence was not coming from his own self, but from God Himself. When he graduated from Master's Commission he went on to lead co-workers to Christ, be a spiritual leader within his own friends and family circle and living out what he was passionate about....flying. He loved being a pilot and often would send me emails telling me he went up again and flew over the rookies "like being on the wings of eagles." A short while ago he also was able to go to Africa on missions and live out more of Christ in him.
Its amazing the legacy that we as people have the opportunity to leave in Christ. Most of the time we have no idea we're doing it...but we are in fact leaving something behind*
Last Christmas, on Christmas Eve, I received a phone call from a close friend telling me that Chris had gone to sleep, and during the night went home to be with Jesus.
Everyday living more in Christ's presence in all aspects of life counts. Chris would have been 29 today, and what he left in Christ without knowing he was leaving, was something that has impacted people all over the world.....because the root was not Chris but Jesus. The deep roots in his life were not Chris, but Jesus. His increasing hunger for the Word and Jesus presence was not Chris or anything Chris could create, but what Jesus created within his heart. The legacy of Jesus Christ was left because Jesus IS.
Dear friends, I pray today that you also would continue to ask God to increase your desire for His word, for His presence. He is doing a work that He will continue to do in you. He will leave His legacy in your life when He immerses your life in His presence*

Mary