Do you like me? Yes or No

In my profile it states that I rededicated (the best Christian-ese word I could think of) my life to Jesus Christ about a year ago as if it were a planned, conscious decision.  What had happened was (smiles) the Holy Spirit said to me "it's time" and I responded "uh, OK?"  So goes my re-dedication.  It was my time.  And it was the beginning of my submission to Jesus Christ.

Do you remember back when you were young, those long, long ago days?  For those of you like me woefully long ago (smiles again),  you liked someone or someone liked you and one of you passed a note to the other: Do you like me?  yes or no.  Circle the appropriate response and pass the note back.  Or better yet you would hit the person you liked and then run away rather than talk and let your feelings be known.  That's what my relationship with Christ was like until now.  Jesus passed me a note I circled yes and was baptized at the age of nine. Throughout the years He kept passing me that same note.  Sometimes I would circle yes.  Other times I would circle no, depending on how I was living my life at that time.  There were times I would circle both yes and no.  I would hit Him then run away. At one point I ran so far away I didn't want Him to see how I was.

In April of 1992 on or about the 16th I checked in to Maine Medical Center, a labor room to be exact, expecting to deliver a son.  I did, but someone else was born that day, me.  Spiritually speaking, that is.
On the night I checked in my personal obstetrician was not on duty neither was he on call.  Lucky me.   I was assigned to someone I had never laid eyes on before or met.  Terrific.  More like terror, though really. So there I was with this total stranger checking my, um, innermost parts.  Yes, that's it... He, rather they were checking my innermost parts.  Of course, there was also a nurse whom I had also never before seen.  Welcome!  The more the merrier, right? Why not have more people take a look-see and, please, let them all be strangers!  Yes, it was a party at my place, but I digress.
 I remember thinking at the time, somewhere between those stupid Lamaze breathing exercises and the really stupid contractions, that what I previously thought was important, like appearance, for example, didn't really matter.  Trust and believe I looked like a mess on the outside at that time,  but neither the doctor nor the nurse cared.  They just wanted to get what was inside of me out.  Albeit not more than I did. 

I labored for many years passing notes back and forth to Jesus.  Finally He, The Doctor,  and His Nurse, the Holy Spirit,  realized I was due.  They didn't care what I looked like on the outside, it was all lies anyway;  smoke and mirrors  It was time for me to be delivered from all the stuff I had on the inside.  Based on the experience I had in the delivery room way back when I didn't care what I looked like on the outside.  I was ready to be delivered.  No more passing notes.  No more hitting and then running away from Him.  It was time to walk with Him and get to know Him.

Suggested reading Revelation 3:20