3 – God?...long-lasting…100% natural…hugs trees…laughs last

The next day, I had been lurking again, for quite a while, by the solar panels, anxiously hoping, and wondering…Now?...when was Now?...had I been dreaming?…hallucinating?…when the new kid on the block materialized behind me. Having been again awake most of the night wondering about our vivid, though dreamlike, encounters, I was eager to talk and came across perhaps a bit rude in pressing urgently… “God…tell me about your god…”
“What mean your god…God...your god…my god…everbodygod … god of everthink, everwho…you not knowing…?

“Er uh…I guess…I guess not…I mean…I…uh…I don’t…I thought…um…it’s just that it surprised me when you spoke of God’s gifts…I mean how could…Interrupting gently, he said simply, “how could not… be…god… everwhere…god in everthink…airs…you…stars…me…clouds…trees (very enjoy hugs)…waters …god IS…! After a pause for consideration… I asked, “what about the Church and the Bible and Presbyterians?”

“Oh, God there too, but, more hard find... fancy outfits, fancy talkin’…God there, maybe shy when bigmouthguys tell god stories…too much fancy, too much loud… God in there somewhere, but more hard find…don’t happy too loud…God more quiet outsydoors type… no like fancy…prefer 100% natural.” After giving me a moment to chew on these words, my friend continued…“Now you tell, why it is carefulhaircutguys loudtalk god allatime?…say, ‘god their side’…they maybe daze and dumbest, yes? …if god their side, why they need talk fraidyscared alla time?…god not preferring … god all sides, everwhere… god in church even…but more better find god THERE,” he said, gesturing toward the pond behind me. As if on cue, a cloud courteously shifted to allow sunshine to shimmer brilliantly on the reflected sky and trees, now rippled by a gentle breeze. Flickery flecks and specks of sparkle brighter than diamonds danced on the surface. I may have felt a whisper of reflective warmth on my cheek…

“God?”

“I be back”…

I turned, mouth open, fingers to my face, speechless…the little guy had already begun to fade…

2 - earthsadness...God is in the details...the time is always Now

For the remainder of the day, and all night, my mind had a tough time wrapping itself around my experience. No traces of evidence remained to confirm my encounter, so my mind kept trying to get a handle on whether it had even taken place. In any case, I made no mention to my wife. I didn’t want to provoke her already suspicious regard for my approach to reality. Next morning, after she left for work, I sat, somewhat hopeful, on the cushiony grass of a slope near the solar panels, and continued with my puzzling. Weary after a restless night, I laid back, in the “nothing-so-fair-as-a-day-in-June”-sunshine, and drifted off almost immediately after closing my eyes, “just for a minute.”

The words, “Do you unnerstand you earthplanet don’t happy , very trouble…,” invaded my siesta. My earnest little visitor hadn’t apparently felt a need to wake me, before picking up with a conversation we hadn’t even started. His eager gentle shyness had clearly given way to serious, somber overtones. He seemed as disturbed as me about an ailing planet whose remarkable beauty had attracted his attention from afar, and as I learned later, it was what drew him into range of the irresistible power of its gravity. Then, out of nowhere, “Earthguys no appreciatate God gift.”

I was astounded “God’s gift? God? What…do you mean…? He returned my incredulity, “You not knowing God…? Creator of anything, whole enchilada, everwhichway what is there, God in it…in flower… tree…(preferring hugs)…I was confused…There was silence…then he added,“we more talk again maybe…I like …?”

“Yes, soon…me too…hopefully…I would like that…When? Is there a time I can expect you?

“Time?” What mean time?

“You know…like 10:45… I was surprised by my struggle to explain, when suddenly his face brightened… “ I get! You mean Now. Where I come, Time now, always …Now…we talk now…,” and as he faded to invisible “Seeing you now …!

1- I need some help here…an open mind, like an open parachute, is better

For more than four years now we have been enjoying the fact that the electricity we need for our home is generated by an array of photo-voltaic panels on our property. While it’s true that during cloudy or dark times, some power flows to us from the national electricity grid, this is more than offset by the excess energy we contribute to the grid during bright, sunny periods. We are paid for any surplus we generate and it feels good when we see on our monthly production statements that significant amounts of coal and oil were not burned on our behalf. It is important to feel part of a solution to an environmental problem, rather than helpless contributors to the alarming evidence of global warming. Naturally, it sustains this sense of well-being, after particularly windy storms, to go out behind our home to make sure there has been no damage, and that this photo-voltaic system is ok.

During one such an inspection, I had a sudden, remarkable encounter with an unusual creature I discovered half –hiding beneath the array of electric-producing panels. It appeared to be some sort of rusty-colored animal about two or three feet tall that was carefully situated for self-protection under the structural supports of the power source. It didn’t take long to realize this was not a specimen to be found in any wildlife guide. After suspiciously eye-balling each other for a few moments, I felt, from the gentleness of his demeanor, and his diminutive size, that I had nothing to fear.

My spell of amazement continued when he began to speak in a soft pleasant voice saying, “hope you weren’t worry, I sleeped in jungle behind you palace while rezoomining blebbergasters, for long swim where I come.” His “English” surprised me although it did sound as though it had been learned by listening to interviews with Russian hockey players.

With effort, I ascertained ( I think) that this creature was from a starry place, “long and far,” and that he had emerged from invisibility in order to “thanks, important palaceguy, and for help understand stuff.” I gathered that a seven room Cape Cod style “palace” was impressive from his point of view (and thereby the occupants “important “ ), and that he was somehow using our solar electric system to recharge his means of transportation. As I scanned uncertainly and unsuccessfully, seeking evidence of a spacecraft, he continued, saying that he “trouble understand me explain difference between earthguys for ‘Universe Story’ I rechurching.”

Then, before he could elaborate, he began to fade, dissolving like a daydream… disappearing…gone…

“What the…what…Wait…hey, wait…”