Here’s a funny story about this platypus. Last week a wonderful sis at church asked me how I became a Christian, and I told her. Those of you who have known me for a long time would probably agree that becoming a Christian was a FAR way from what I had planned. Trying to navigate life I tried most everything the world has to offer on advice how to fill the days we have - healthy living, unhealthy living, party one way or another, be selfish, be selfless and ‘good’, place my identity in any amount of subcultures - despite countless failures at lasting happiness and reliable purpose, I knew of course best what was good! 

Christianity was old people and bigots living after outdated rules and rituals and ignoring the big secular God of science (it is a well kept secret in many secularized countries that science actually backs the Bible and Christian beliefs more than anything else). 

By a number of circumstances I was forced to rely on a military chaplain to get advice for my marriage while stationed in Japan , and something inside of me reacted to some randomly mentioned Bible advice on the topic in a weird way. I felt a pull. Curiosity. And a strange joy- which seemed completely out of place. Over the weeks, as I inquired inwardly what was going on, I received a gradual, but undeniable knowledge that God was real. And a good thing (and I found out later that’s because it was about relationship not religious rules). 

But! The Jesus thing - that just seemed to random. What God does that, wouldn’t there be an easier way, why would a majestic being, capable of creating the whole universe come and…?! 

With that thought in mind, I went to the gym. While working out, I looked up to the gym tv and saw a documentary about platypus. And it hit me, like a flash: the whole world is totally random. It makes no sense, or perfect sense in a random way, that’s different than I think now, that I don’t understand quite (yet - I found out that there’s actually a way to understand as you go along for the ride, and that so many things finally click into place. Yay!). 

I knew, knew, knew in my knower it was true. Jesus is real, and right here. Ready to roll. In a deep relationship that was going to be unveiled over some time. 

I was a bit bummed that my revelation had been so unconventional and my testimony wasn’t ‘very useful’. If something profound happens to you that changes your whole life and brings such immense meaning and awesomeness, of course you’ll want to share it with the ones you love. What are you going to say: ‘guys, Jesus is real!!! Because - platypus!!!’ ?  Not to mention I had to defend my sudden change of mind to my peers who were mostly not very delighted about my new faith that didn’t make sense to them. ‘No I haven’t been brainwashed by the evil Americans, or contracted a brain tumor from the Fukushima radiation - it was the platypus!!!’ ?

So, 7 1/2 years later I shared that testimony with a friend at church. And yesterday, to my huge surprise, she gifted me this sweet stuffed platypus. But her explanation really made me tear up (I’m trying to get it somewhat right): she got the same platypus for herself, to remind her that God can talk to anyone, even people who had been not taught rightly anything about him at all. People who had zero intention of following him, and didn’t believe in his existence. He can choose to talk to anyone, anywhere, and reveal himself to them in any weird, funny, ‘random’ way, and draw them to him, complete them and set their heart on fire. 

By the way of platypus, if he chooses. 

Praise God, he’s the laughter in the woods and a song in our hearts, waiting to be heard, if we choose, and that song will give us more than we ever expected. 😄❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥👑👑👑