Eleven years ago, on January 21st, 2002 (which also
landed on a Monday like today that was also Martin Luther
King's Day), I had a spiritual awakening. It was the
first I had of its kind and I probably hadn't had one
like it since.
Don't get me wrong. I've made a lot of spiritual
progress since than, but that one was just so sudden and
it came upon me with so much power and love from God. It
was so needed as I was going through
a major depression back then. (I've since spoken to
someone who had been diagnosed with clinical depression and on medication.
She told me that my case was worse than hers, and that if
I would've sought medical attention, they would
definitely have medicated me.)
Anyway, that awakening brought me out of that depression
without any medical attention or drugs. God can do
amazing things.
Ever since that awakening, I've also been making progress
in my life, in not following only what's "safe"
but following God, and following what He has placed in my
heart. I've made decisions that did not and still does
not make sense to many (especially when many only know
one way, one program,... with a one track mind. Not that
that one track is wrong. When so many people follow the
same track or same type of life, it's probably working
(to a certain extent). But it's just not the only way
or even the best way as most people think. Anyway, I
digress.
Eleven years ago, when I had that abrupt awakening that God
brought upon me, I was living by myself in San
Leandro, California. The awakening came upon me shortly after 12am on 1/21/2002.
Then I went to sleep probably with the best sleep I hadn't had for awhile up to that point. When I awoke in the
morning, I drove down to the closest book store, Borders
in Union City, and asked God to give me answers.
(When I felt like I need answers, I go into a big bookstore, ask God to guide me, and start going through books. On that day of awakening in 2002, after going through a lot of books, two books captivated me on that day. If I remember correctly, they were
Not Your Mother's Life by Joan K. Peters and
The Call to the Soul by Marjory Zoet Bankson.)
Despite gradual progress since then and despite having
gone on a less traveled road, I
still seem to have a long ways to go. Maybe you would
like to hear me say that "I've come a long way" which may
be true, but it seems to me that I have a much longer way
to go. I won't say that I am tired but I do feel fed up
on some days because I am not as far along as I had
planned (although progress has been apparent).
Back in my awakening of January 21st, 2002, I did not
know why God chose Martin Luther King's (MLK) Day to awaken me.
Since then, I can see a little bit more of why, but I
probably do not know entirely yet why God chose MLK day
And the mystery expands as this year, my anniversary of
my spiritual awakening is again on a Martin Luther King's
Monday and it coincides with Barack Obama's public
inauguration of his second term as President of the
United States.
Now I've been learning about Barack Obama even before he
became President, just as I've been learning about a
number of others who I consider to be iconoclasts (Sergei
Brin, Larry Page, Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer, Steve Jobs,
Taylor Swift, Matt Damon,...) From what I've read and what I've seen, Obama is someone I admire. (It doesn't mean
I agree with everything he believes in his ideology, but
I don't think there's anyone we can agree with entirely
including those we admire or look up to.)
Well anyway (to conclude this journal entry), I will say
that I've made progress since January 21st, 2002, but I
have a lot more progress to make. May God bless me and
be with me. I am sure more will be revealed in my life.
A small part of what I do is on the web for free to you. If you like, feel free to check it out at:
SpirFit.org
