” I am truly His rose, the very theme of His song.”
Song of Songs 2:1
” Breathe on my garden with your Spirit-Wind.
Stir up the sweet spice of your life within me.
Spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden.
Hold nothing back until I releae your fragrance.
Come walk with me as you walked with Adam in your paradise garden.
Come taste the fruits of your life in me.”
Song of Songs 4:16
When I’m hungry for an encounter with Jesus and I feel disconnected or forget that He is just feel as hungry for an encounter with me, I find picking up Gabby Conlon’s book, ACTIVATE, a real Godsend. It provides a starting point, a springboard if you like, into the realm of The Spirit, through the imagination. Just the painting of some simple pictures to facilitate an invitation to meet one on one with Jesus and I always come away from the experience in awe, humbled by the simplicity of his desire to love on me.
Gabby Conlon’s book “ACTIVATE”. Equipping and Empowering Everyday Believers to Live in the Realm of The Spirit, uses everyday scenarios that cover, in several chapters, a broad range of experiential encounters to be had.
The activation I have chosen…The Secret Garden Page 7.
Gabby explains her encounter with Jesus in The Secret Garden, a place of peace and rest where Jesus invites her to just “BE”. She asks “What do you want to say to me? What is on your heart?” and It is in this place, Jesus hands her something Precious….
She then invites the reader, through imagination, to a garden for their own experience to spend time with Jesus…to be in intimacy and friendship. The roadmap for that encounter is here for you to insert yourself into a garden of your own choosing. Just follow and my prayer is that you will be surprised and overwhelmed in all the best ways, by your friend Jesus and his love and desire for you to see you… and life itself… from His perspective.
This was my experience only yesterday….
I was walking through beautiful gardens alongside Jesus. Everything in the garden seemed so much brighter…vibrant in its colour and form. I was running my hands through the leaves of the bushes as I casually strolled along, with no other purpose in the moment than to “BE”, enjoy, experience everything present in its fullness…especially Jesus’ Presence.
In the experience I was just peaceful and exhilarated. In real time, tears are flowing down my face.
The perfume from the flowers was exquisite and powerful to my senses…a heady aroma. I turned to ask Jesus how he had created the scent for each flower and what was its purpose. Without Him speaking but in the kindness of His face and the depth of His eyes, the answer came to me.
Each flower type is unique in its form and fragrance, to attract to itself the perfectly designed insect or bird to pollinate it, carrying the essence of life and reproduction onto another, to perpetuate life and recreate His design.
I was aware in that moment that Jesus was referring to me… unique and perfectly designed.
When order and peace exist, His will and purpose in and through me is an extraordinary dance, choreographed by The Creator of the Universe. Jesus is the fragrance I carry…the pollen…the substance required for the ongoing creative process that clings to me…not by my “gathering” but in me seeking Him out in hunger, diving into the depths of His word, exploring every possible avenue to know and experience Him.
And He, by clever design, has all I need visible and ready to be absorbed, clinging to every fibre of my being so when I exit His presence, I am covered in His essence and release to others along the way back to the “hive”…my home, work, church… where it is food for the generations to come…and food for me in the moment, giving me strength and hunger to seek more.
Jesus then took me to a shaded seat and pulled me close to Him. He produced from His robes an exquisite crystal bottle. The bottle itself was luminous…iridescent light from its contents shone through and around the glass. He encouraged me to open it. The perfume was indescribably beautiful. He took the bottle and poured some of its liquid over my head and some dropped onto my arm, and it ran through my fingers, oily in consistency and yet this luminous liquid vanished as it was absorbed immediately into my skin.
In that moment it was clear to me how “thirsty” my body and being was for more! I was dehydrated! Jesus laughed and motioned for me to follow Him along the path to a river of the same luminous liquid, into which He promptly launched Himself, calling me to join Him.
Normally hesitant to jump, I quickly immersed myself in it. Jesus laughed again with delight, and I heard the word “SOAK”.
That word has lingered with me…SOAK….!
The definition of SOAK, a verb…an action word is:
to make or allow something/someone, to become thoroughly wet by immersing it in liquid.
What better way to learn to know Him than to immerse myself in Him…. using all my sensory capacity to absorb Him into my being…to allow Him to permeate/penetrate fully into every aspect of my being, through encounters like this, reading His Word, prayer and meeting with other believers in worship…walking in the garden or bush. Wherever it is…whatever it is for you….
SOAK!!
It is not a suggestion. It is imperative! Naomi Roorda Nov 2024
References and Acknowledgements:
With wholehearted thanks to Gabby Conlon for her amazing toolbox in this extraordinary book, “ACTIVATE”. Equipping and Empowering Everyday Believers to Live in the Realm of The Spirit, gabbyconlon.com (books available for purchase)
Biblical References: The Passion Translation Song of Songs
Photography: Naomi Roorda
Beautiful Naomi! Inspiring as usual.