The Supernatural is Normal - Greg

Where do you start with such a remarkable experience? In April of 1995, I was part of a supernatural event that has forever changed the course of my life and those around me. The supernatural and I have a history. Remarkably, I have experienced many supernatural events in the few years I have walked this Earth. This particular event is different because many people were involved. Thousands witnessed, felt the effects, and had their lives radically changed. You may be asking was this experience good or bad? For some this miraculous episode was heaven opening up its doors. Others found that this “event” brought hardship, panic, and loss. For me the event was an end to a miserable existence. Before I get into the description of the event, I had better explain what the situation was that found me in this precarious place called, “between a rock and a hard place.” You see life just took a dramatic step towards bad and I needed help!

I was working for the elevator music company, as a sales manager, leading a team of six sales people, a customer service representative, and one sales-secretary working in three states. I traveled between four offices to oversee these eight people. Overall, this region did okay but lacked great numbers. Lack luster sales revenue and the huge geographical region led the regional director to give some responsibilities to another sales manager. 

This move reduced the staff that I directly supervised to three sales people and a sales-secretary. Lost was some of my responsibility, so with infinite wisdom the regional director decided to reduce my salary by twelve thousand dollars a year! To say that I was upset was an understatement. I was not ready to kill him, well maybe I was ready to hurt him, and besides jail sounded better than facing my family with this horrible news. This reduction in pay would hurt the financial outlook of our family and cause other unforeseen problems.

Imagine coming home to your wife and saying, “Good news honey I wasn’t fired, but the next best thing happened, my salary has been cut by $250 a week!” To make matters worse, all four of our children were going to be in school in the coming fall, and this pay cut would be disastrous. I decided that finding a new job would be the only viable alternative to starvation. So where should I turn? The want ads? Recruiters? Family? Friends? For me this answer was predetermined. I would turn to God in prayer. 
God and I were not strangers; I had experienced on several occasions what some would call miracles. These phenomena had been normal for our relationship. 

In 1983, I experienced God, in a way very few have; God showed up. I turned to him for emotional and physical healing after we lost our first child in miscarriage. To lose a child, even one in the womb, hurts unlike any other pain I have had to endure. Pain; exasperated by the knowledge that I believed that I had a physical problem producing healthy sperm. This physical problem heaped guilt on my already damaged soul. I reasoned that my physical inability would prevent my wife’s dream of having children unfulfilled.

 
In the midst of my tears, God brought to my mind a passage from Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Crying out, pleading with God I said, “God I know Jesus is your son, I know he died on the cross for my sins, and I know that he rose from the dead on the third day, but God I need to be healed right now.” Right at that moment, the trinity of God showed up in a spectacular surreal visitation. 

I was in our bedroom lying on the bed crying. Our room did not have any windows and had only one door. I was expecting something to happen but I had no idea what it would be. Without any warning, a small picture hanging on the wall in front of me seemingly grew in size, producing a large opening. The wall became a doorway opening to reveal a place I have never seen before. The sky was blue and filled with white billowing clouds. Each cloud had a rainbow around specific billowed sections. This rainbow had new colors along with the seven familiar ones. I still cannot describe these new colors because they do not exist in our reality. The place I looked at was peaceful and this peace you could feel with your eyes and know with your heart. 

From the left of this doorway a single ray of light appeared. This light was so intensely bright that I had no option but to close my eyes and turn away. This light was moving, originating from something that was moving towards me. Try to imagine all the stars of the universe together, in one man-sized place; now you can start to imagine the intensity of this light. Yet, this light was brighter than this meager description.

The light did not burn or hurt; it was glory beyond glory. With my eyes closed and head turned away, I buried my face into my hands and my head into my pillow. Even though I was trying hide from this light, I could not. My eyes closed tight, hands over my face, my head buried face down into my pillow, and yet I could see the light through me and around me, even in the bed where I was lying. Nothing could block or diminish this wonderful light. 

After a few seconds, the light moved back to the left side of the doorway and then out of sight. Only when the last ray of light disappeared I was able to turn around. I stared in amazement at the clouds when I noticed a figure approaching, walking towards me. He was familiar but looked unlike any likeness I had seen. I thought to myself that looks like Jesus, even though I had only seen artist inspired pictures. His whole being shined and shimmered with a brilliant white translucent appearance. The outline and the folds of his robe moved as he approached. His eyes burned with fire as he looked at me.
He walked into my room and stopped next to me. 

He was the Jesus that I read about in Sunday school.

He reached out as if to touch me, when for no apparent reason he disappeared. I thought to myself did I do something wrong, why did he leave? Then an invisible force touched me and filled me with a pulsed wave of love and power. This wave slowly traveled from head to toe, bringing an indescribable joy to every fiber of my being. I had never imaged that God could do this. He healed my broken heart and body, this I know because today we have four beautiful children. Then he asked me to follow him. Not knowing what to say and filled with reverse pride, I told God that he picked the wrong guy! I did not realize it then, but it is not a wise thing to tell the creator of the universe “NO?”  

God is like a 25,000-pound ape. If this 25,000-pound ape asks you to move, you had better respect his wishes. Although he could stomp me at will, God, through his grace, realized that I was not ready to follow him and somewhat left me alone. You need to know that I shared the details of this experience with many people, however my commitment level was sub par. God never forgot that he called me into service. Later after reading the Bible, God pointed this out in the book of Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” 

In spite of this miraculous event, my relationship with God was still lacking in the finer points, like obedience and unfaltering love. I had not surrendered to him. I did not allow him to take control of my life. However God was determined to remind me, kick-start our relationship, and let me know that I was to be a messenger. This reminder would cause millions of dollars of damage; a travel delay for thousands, and my life changed forever. 

Facing the possibility of financial ruin nudged me into looking for a new job. I started to look and ask around. Out of the clear blue sky, my good friend called me about a great job in Naperville. My friend said that this was a fantastic job. The job started with a base salary in the mid five figures. This job included a company car; bonus based upon performance, expense account, corner office, and the responsibility of seven employees and their families. The responsibility of the job was to manage a state-of-the-art calibration laboratory that specialized in telecommunication test equipment. 

My specialized Naval education and training focused specifically on calibrating test equipment. However, upon discharge from the Navy, my work experience in civilian life was in purchasing, sales, and management. The experience in calibration, and business together formed, what I believed, a perfect fit. To top everything off, it had been a lifelong dream of mine to have a calibration lab. This was my dream job! With the benefits, the total compensation package could reach the low six figures. This would mean doubling my overall annual income in one job change!

I called about the position and found out who was conducting the interview. The vice-president of the eastern region and I agreed to meet in Naperville, Illinois. The vice-president that was doing the interview told me he preferred a person with a college degree. However, he would interview me because of my military training and work experience. This is when I turned to God in prayer.
I told God that if he helped me get this job, I would finally follow Jesus, I would make him Lord of my life, and do whatever he asked of me. It seems obvious today as I write this narrative, but I was not God savvy. I was trying to manipulate God; if he does this, I will do that. Nevertheless, he listened and to my amazement helped me beyond any expectation. The interview set, I waited for the day. 

The day finally came, it was a Thursday, and the appointment was set for 7:00 PM and as "Murphy" would expect, misfortune went before me. A huge spring storm hit north-central Illinois. There had been several reported touchdowns of tornadoes. High wind, torrential rains, flooding, hail, and a pitch-black sky attacked everything between my home and Naperville. I was undaunted by this potential obstacle and set out for Naperville at 4:30 PM, making certain that I arrived at the Holiday Inn on time for the interview. 
This storm was bad, not just a bad storm, but real bad! I had driven around the country and through many storms throughout many years of working as an outside salesman. This time the situation was different, I was heading towards destiny through a storm, and I was scared. In the Navy, storms were common. Our ship even followed a hurricane for several days. During that storm the seas were thirty feet and higher. I was certainly not a stranger to bad weather. However, this storm took on a life of its own. This storm threatened my future and life.
The rain mercilessly pounded the car reducing my visibility to twenty-five feet or less. I had driven this route to Naperville countless times so the route was familiar. This familiarity reduced my anxiety as I proceeded towards destiny. 

As I drove along the wind, increased to gale force, and the rain pounded everything in its path. I had to reduce speed to twenty-five miles per hour in order to keep the car on the road. There were tree branches that had fallen along the route. Shingles on roofs were loosened and flying from homes. I kept looking overhead expecting a funnel cloud to thrust right into my car, carrying me away. Lightening was flashing all around me, adding blinding bursts of light that confused my eyes. Thunder shook the car. I secretly hoped to see emergency crews, but even they had not responded to downed power and telephone lines. There was no one else on this stretch of road; I was alone.

I kept driving, pressing forward; nothing was going to keep me from this interview. I would make it there, possibly in a damaged car, but I would show up for the interview. I wondered as I crept along if he, this man who held the key to my dream job, would even be at the hotel. 

O’Hare Airport would delay incoming and outgoing flights, and cancel others. I wondered if the vice-president that was doing the interview, was able to fly into Chicago. Did he make it from the airport to the hotel? Normally, a drive from my home to Naperville would take one hour and ten minutes; today it had taken two and a half hours. As I approached the outskirts of Naperville, the rain stopped, the winds reduced to a whisper and I reached the end of the storm. I drove into the hotel on time and I was very thankful that I made it safely. 

I went to the front desk to verify if this man had been able to make his journey. He had arrived two days earlier. We ended up talking for two hours. He asked me all the normal interview questions, and I explained my philosophy of life and success. He smiled and agreed with me giving me added confidence as I presented my vision of what this laboratory could be. 

We reached the end of the discussion and it was time to go. I asked him how I did in the interview, and where I stood in his search for the manager. He told me, “That right at this moment, I was his number one choice.” However, tomorrow he had one more interview to conduct. He told me that the man he was going to interview had managed a calibration lab for Hewlett-Packard for fourteen years. This man also had a college degree. He told me very frankly that he thought that I would not measure up, and barring some calamity, this guy would probably get the job. I said to him, “I will put this in God’s hands,” and with that, I went home.
 
As I drove home I was at peace, the storm had passed, and I knew that God would handle this situation. The next day came and I called the office. No one answered. This was very odd on a normal business day. I left a message on the answering machine for this man that could hire me at the Naperville office. Friday went by and he did not return my call. Now I would have to wait until Monday to hear any kind of news. 

On Monday morning, I called at 8:00AM. Still no one answered in Naperville. I called to the home office in Pennsylvania, and I was told that this man was still in Chicago because of a major flood. All day on Monday, the Naperville office did not answer. Monday came and went.

At 8:00 AM on Tuesday morning, I called the Naperville office and I finally spoke to him. We exchanged the usual pleasantries and then I asked how his last interview went? He said the most amazing thing happened. That horrible storm that I drove through hit the Naperville area and everything was flooded. A hundred or more homes and businesses were flooded. Some streets remained closed for five days. Millions of dollars of flood damage occurred in the area. It was a mess. 

I asked him about that guy from Hewlett-Packard. He told me, “His flight was cancelled due to the flood and he did not show up for the interview, and I want you to manage this office.” He offered me the job right then. 
God had done it; he caused a flood so I could get my dream job. I told my new boss that I would give my current employer a two-week notice and I could start in three weeks. This was unbelievable that God would use a storm to get me a job, but he did. You may be saying, this is just coincidence, your experience, and training matched perfectly to their needs. It might have been a coincidence, but I knew better. On Sunday, I would end up having all doubts erased.  

The next Sunday morning I was in Church. I was going to praise God for my dream job. Filled with joy and ready to do anything God asked, I sang every song with a new voice. My regenerated spirit energized every prayer. I heard new words spoken in familiar Bible passages. I was ever so grateful to God. I sat in church with such contentment and happiness. Our church had a brand new pastor and that Sunday was his first Sunday to preach. 

Our new pastor, Richard, during the service, passed out opportunity cards, which had various things each of us could do for the body of Christ. He asked us to pray and ask what God would have each of us do. I prayed and said to God, you kept your end of the bargain and I will keep mine. I grabbed a pencil from the pew and started to check the boxes on the opportunity card. I was checking everything; teaching Sunday School, Youth Group, men’s group. Miraculously as I was writing, some unseen force grabbed the pencil in my hand. My eyes grew in size and my mouth dropped open in amazement. This force moved the pencil while my hand held on; the pencil, moved by an unseen hand and checked “Ministry!” 

Before I could say anything, something brushed up the back of my neck up and over my head, ruffling my hair. It was as if an angel had flown over and his wings brushed my head. I quickly turned around to see if someone was messing with my hair. To my surprise, two elderly people were just sitting there. They had no idea what happened. They did not see anything out of the ordinary or even knew that this remarkable experience happened three feet from their faces.
 
This experience was the final calling. I responded with a new devotion, willingly obedient, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. I would follow God and do everything that he tells me, ministering to all people, in the name of Jesus.
 
My dream job was everything I prayed for and God caused the business to flourish. With each successive sale, I knew that God was supernaturally increasing business. Within the first year sales doubled and God achieved a record annual profit. This was the hand of God working, I had success in the past however I had never closed this many large sales deals as quickly. This fast pace astonished even the most seasoned sales professionals. Promotion came one year later when I was asked to be the Midwest Regional Area Manager and oversee three of our twelve offices.
 
Shortly after I was hired, a new company had purchased us but did not want to make any policy changes Just before my promotion to Midwest Regional Manager, this new company decided that is was time to make some strategic changes in all offices. This new company had its own style and business practices, upper management wanted the market segment and quality standards to change. The three offices I managed had flourished based upon providing a very high quality service at a high price. The new corporate strategy followed a different philosophy. The company that purchased this calibration company historically provided lower quality service at very low prices. The new president told me that I must change the quality standards to conform to the corporate office.

In the past, I explained to all of our customers that are services were of the highest quality; only the manufactures themselves could provide superior calibrations. Publicly changing our quality policy would bring into question every calibration we had performed in the past and would cast doubt on the integrity of the operation. How could I explain to our customers that we were going to provide lower quality service at a much lower price? My customers were Fortune 500 companies that demanded the highest standards. They would not accept this change. In order to keep them as customers I would have to lie in order to keep them satisfied, and I was not going to lie.
 
When I agreed to follow Jesus, I willingly followed his ways. Our senior-vice president explained that the test procedures would change or else I could find another place to work. I quit my dream job, knowing that I maintained my integrity with my customers and I kept my commitment to God. God would not forsake me, and he had other plans for me. He wanted me to know that through anything, bad, or good, his ways are the best way to live my life.

In 1983, God asked me to follow him. In 1995, he showed me why I should not say no. Events such as these can change the lives of many but it has most profoundly changed me. I have gained the certainty of an eternal heavenly home. This event caused damage and inconvenience for many in the Naperville area. However, this storm showed me that God could turn the worst event into an opportunity to open the gates of heaven for anyone. The supernatural fills my life, like so many other Christians that have gone before me. Miracles are normal for a Christian life. Only one question remains; is this a “story,” or is this a narrative that each of us can live and experience?