The Little White Room

I came to Christ pretty radically when I was 15. A friend who had listened to my miserable, lost state, decided to share the gospel with me. He was only a freshman in high school; however, his relationship with Jesus, and my desire to have that too, caused my response. Over the next few years, the local church in Cedar Rapids IA, raised me, discipled me, and loved me deeply as I worked through what it meant to be a Christ follower. 

After my first year of college, I returned to Cedar Rapids, and took a break from university. I knew that I was not supposed to be at that school; yet, I did not know what was next. So, I took on a few jobs, worked and waited on the Lord.

There came a point that the Lord began to do something new in my life. My days went like this: I would wake up (no alarm) around 4-5am, and begin to read scripture, pray, worship. Around 7am, I would make my way towards my first job.  I would work throughout the day, one job to the next, and then get home around 10pm, in bed by 11. This was new because I was, and still am, a 7.5-8 hours of sleep sort of guy. To have this daily routine and still be able to function was worth taking note.  

About a month in to this time of pressing in, I had an incredible vision. I was worshiping and found myself inside a little white room. The first time I found myself there, I was kneeling at a pair of feet. My spirit knew instantly who this was, I was at the feet of Jesus. It was a defining moment. Grace poured out, holiness poured out, and I sat, worshiped and soaked it all in.

Over the next 4 1/2 months, I found myself often at the feet of Jesus. Other times I would lay on His lap, like a young child. He would speak life over me in profound ways.  

During this time, I began to understand what the Lord was doing in this period of closeness. In the little white room, I could confess all that weighed on me. Jesus would pour out His spirit on my wounds from childhood. His Holy Spirit was like a salve that removed the arrows, healed the wounds, and made the cracks in my soul, whole.

Often during my times of worship, I would hear Him remind me of the promises that I had studied in His word. Also, I heard Him speaking His plan for my life. Serve, love, give, are just examples of things I remember Him sharing with me. I knew them to be true, because they were all reflections of who he is. As a disciple, I just wanted to be like him.

Birthed out of these intimate moments, I began to feel drawn to Nashville, TN. While I had few acquaintances, there were no real friends; yet, when the time came to obey and go, I went. That obedience step is now coming up on 20 years.  

Over the past 20 years the little white room has come up multiple times in my life. Sometimes I go there in my worship, other times, I am just there in the midst of prayer. Each time, I know that the Lord brings me to this place because he needs to solidify some things in my life. Through intimacy with Him, He prepares me for the next step I am to take on this journey.

As I speak about this place, I want to ask you the question. Do you have an intimate place where you can go and lay in the arms of Jesus? If the concept of a little white room will serve you, then by all means, take this and make it yours. For many of you it is less about a location and more about a position. Sometimes it is the posture or position of one’s heart that causes lack of intimacy with Jesus.   

So let me ask the question another way. Do you trust Jesus enough, not just for salvation, but to give him your whole self, starting with your heart? I can assure you, when you make this choice, your life will be radically altered and transformed by the Spirit of the living God.

My prayer for all of you is that you find a place, where you can be intimate with your King, a place like The Little White Room.