238,000 Miles from Earth
238,000 Miles from Earth
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
When I was a young man living in Colorado Springs, I had the awesome privilege of visiting with an American hero and his family, Apollo 15 astronaut James (Jim) Irwin. I was very much impressed and greatly impacted by Jim and his wife Mary’s retelling of the story when Jim encountered God on the surface of the moon 238,000 miles away from earth. Jim Irwin was the eighth man to walk on the moon and the first to ride in a lunar rover.
Jim and fellow astronaut Davis Scott spent nearly three days on the surface of the moon working with little rest to collect close to two hundred pounds of geological material. Physicians in mission control monitoring Jim and Scott as they worked became gravely concerned when they noticed both men had developed irregular heartbeats.
Irwin’s condition was of great concern because the temperature outside his spacesuit was reaching 150° F and his water tube was obstructed, thus he was unable to hydrate. While the physicians in mission control debated as to how best to deal with the situation, Jim and Scott continued working oblivious to their physical condition.
Jim and Scott were tasked with performing a planned experiment, but Jim was experiencing great difficulty with some of the parts necessary to perform said experiment. In total frustration, Jim decided to pray saying: God I need your help right now! In that moment, Jim says he felt the presence of Jesus so powerfully that he actually turned around believing that Jesus was standing right there with him. At that very moment according to Jim, God gave him the necessary wisdom to solve his problem. This powerful encounter transformed the life of Jim Irwin forever and upon his return to earth he resigned from NASA and dedicated the rest of his life to testifying about Jesus Christ.
Jim Irwin prayed while on the moon going through a difficult situation and he encountered Jesus in a “sacred space”, 238, 000 miles away from earth. You too can encounter Jesus by praying and creating a “sacred space” right where you are.
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. – Psalms 34:8 NIV
Questions:
- Do you have a “sacred space”, a place where you relate to God?
- Where are some of the places where you have felt the presence of God?
- How did His presence impact or change your life?
- Are you in a difficult place or situation in which you need God to show up? If so, what should you Do?
