Once myself and twice a friend. Dave’s was a “Yes, you’re doing it right,” feeling of comfort when, in angst, he questioned whether his path was the right one. No trumpets, no angels, just an immediate quiet reassurance.
Mine was much more prosaic. Stopped at a light, one sunny afternoon, I (slightly Aspergers) marveled that the meter sat precisely in the center of cosmic measurements – quantum distance is around 10 ** -47 meter and the size of the knowable universe is around 10 ** 47 meters. I addressed GOD the way you would any amazing engineer, “Was that on purpose?” and got back a feeling of “It just worked out that way.” Again, no trumpets, nothing profound, but in an open moment I asked a question that struck me, and got back a low-key, accommodating answer.
GOD is beyond our ability to comprehend and too intense to survive a direct encounter, but His gentle love can make Him as comfortable as an old friend.
The best! More of a waking near-death experience—a young woman spoke of trying to find her way in life. She felt so bound in by conflict and failure that she prayed in her heart to just be released from life. A warmth and love surrounded her and gave a taste of “the peace that passes all understanding.” She realized that we are here for a time, and will eventually move on to that permanent joy and peace. The reassurance reenergized her to walk where her feet took her, so to speak; fear and depression died because she knew she was loved by GOD.
None of these experiences amounted to “a new revelation” or “a commission from GOD to correct the evils of the world or realign its understanding.” Each was a single moment that left an indelible memory of being connected beyond one’s own self.
Oh, and Another Thing 