from the Lord’s words, key words Paul remembers,

Acts 22; ‘quick’

…And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Impulsive, instinctive as I live, have lived, as I am. As I am today. For better or worst, I have always made decisions, major ones, life changing moments, quickly. And then I lived with them, their consequences and after effects, slowly, for many, many years. Many many moments, memories.

Some say, I was, am ‘mercurial’. Perhaps I am and that is why I love this passage from Acts so. Paul’s exact memory of the Lord’s instructional words to him after the Damascus road are mine,

‘get up’, verse 16

‘Quick’….leave’, verse 18 -and…

‘Go’, verse 21

Paul listens to his heart because that is where he hears the Lord. His heart speaks to his mind. Transformed he listens differently than others; Paul hears the voices of others, but he hears and listens deeply to the ‘quick’ voice of Jesus.

Today, I still listen like a Paul. I hear Jesus. Both quickly and then reflectively.

I am with Paul in Jerusalem. Tomorrow, we will speak and hear again.