The Exchange (Part 2) - written by Jeff Dean 

When I say I “may have been a little irritated with the Lord on that score” I’m just guessing. I don’t really remember. Dad was in hospice and that whole time is slightly blurry in my memory. It was only a few months ago. I do remember that I spent every day talking to Jesus. I wanted to “do it right”. I knew that success in that stressful time would only come through Christ’s strength. So I attempted to keep short accounts.

“Short Accounts” is a term I appropriated that means you don’t let things build up in your heart. In general, I try to deal with hurts, unworthy thoughts, untrue thoughts, and pain as it happens. When I’m doing it right, I talk to Jesus and I do not let it fester in my soul. It’s about staying spiritually healthy.

If I do or say something unworthy of a son of the King, I apologize to my King.

Some call that confession. The idea of keeping a short account is to keep the relationship between Jesus and me wide open. When my accounts are full, I find myself hiding from God. When my accounts are short or empty, I can live easily in community with my Lord. That means abundant wisdom, peace, joy, love, and balance for Jeff. Short accounts are a great thing.

So after Dad’s death, I found myself “doing business” with Jesus. I remember my intentions. I wanted to give the Lord anything negative that I was holding on to concerning Dad’s death. As I wrote, I had been trying to keep up with that over the weeks. After his death I met with the Lord to sweep out the corners of my heart. He is always faithful to shine His light around the room and gently point out what doesn’t need to be there.

That prayer had identified a few clean up items for me. As I finished Jesus told me to prophetically hand those things to Him for disposal. I suddenly recognized “The Exchange”.

At Growing in Grace Ministries we get to watch our Lord remove burdens, pain, addictions, afflictions… you know, the bad stuff, and then exchange those terrible things for His very good gifts. I laughed and said to Jesus, “Oh, we are doing the Exchange.” He smiled and said “Of course.”

I never dreamed what was coming.

Jesus said “Jeff, when you want to talk to your Dad, you will now go to Father God. He will be there for you just like your Father was. When you need advice, wisdom, love, acceptance, truth, direction, anything… you will go to Father God.”

I immediately understood that Father God was stepping into the role my Dad had played in my life. Imagine that.

Jesus messes with my theology all the time.

Things I took as bedrock often crumbled under the weight of my relationship with Jesus. This is a great example. I’ve never considered Father God to be as “accessible” as Jesus. Most of my formal teaching has reinforced that idea. But before I can even protest, Jesus brings to mind His own words, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”

In that instant, I understood that I was to relate to Father God as I have related to Jesus. I know how to talk to Jesus.