Man hiking, walking

To My Complete, Utter Surprise – He Answered!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Scott Allen Taylor. What I am about to tell you, except for a few private statements, I have kept quiet for twenty years. But not anymore!

Growing up for me was like something out of a story book. I was raised on a farm/ranch, with a wonderful, loving mother and father, a sister and two brothers, and friends. Though we had lots of chores and worked hard, for the most part it was a good, healthy, and enjoyable time.

After high school, first came love, then came marriage and kids in the baby carriage. I worked a couple of tough jobs for best part of a decade and then went into business for myself. It was all quite the typical American dream.

Then, my business got broken into–three times!

I lost my marriage from the financial stress, was separated from my children; and then, after dividing everything into two unequal halves in divorce, my half went down like a wounded freighter. I lost it all!

After that came insult to injury. Oh, I wasn’t physically injured. It was just that I was at the top of my game while all this was happening: I was on the cutting edge, I had invented a few things. I took a job I wasn’t looking for and won top awards for things that had not been done before in the company’s entire 30-year history.

I developed a great, new, bigger business for myself… And yet, by a series of unnatural events –the rug was pulled out from under me, on each and every thing I touched. My best was good, really good, but it didn’t matter!

One night, you could say, I was at the end of my physical realm. Although I don’t recommend it, one way to see beyond the physical world in which we live–is to have your own little world go black!

That’s when I decided to have a little talk with God –that is, if there was a God–I wasn’t sure. But I started talking anyway. I said,

“This is the place where a person takes their own life, but I’m not going to do it! –Game over–I’m not playing this game anymore! You want my life, God –you take it– you can have it! Otherwise, I need some answers. I need to know what life is supposed to be about, and what is my part in it? If it all just ends in failure–what’s it all for? –Otherwise, there’s only one thing that hasn’t failed me, it’s all I’ve got left, I’m going to go live in the woods…”

To my complete and utter surprise — He answered!

After having every other (earthly) door slammed in my face, I finally knocked on the right door!

I found myself in the air above the very spot (in the woods) where I had threatened to go… Keep in mind, I was at the end of my physical self and ability. I’m not going to pretend to know all there is to know about this sort of religious experience–at the time, I was brand new at it. For the sake of argument, let’s just say, the “me” that is usually at home in my body–had left the building!

Next, I found myself with my back up against a huge frozen wall covered with ice. Before me were masses of people as far as I could see. Wave after wave, like looking out over the ocean; and they began to stir. In desperation I turned and began beating on the wall of ice with my fists. Chunks of ice came falling down and an enormous door opened up.

Through the door I saw a narrow stairway going up into the clouds, at the top–was my father. Now, I know it sounds like some “father” thing, and it was, but not what you’re thinking –let me finish…

Next, I found myself on the narrow stairway; and in through the doorway came babies–infants, wrapped in little blankets. I reached out and took the first one and passed it up the stairway to my father who waited with open arms. I turned back and took another and did the same, again, and again, and again.

Sometime thereafter, I found myself back in the physical–and shot straight up, not stopping until I was seated at the foot of my bed. Eventually I laid back down in awe and bewilderment and went to sleep.

The next morning, I awoke refreshed, and peace and joy filled me. I couldn’t stop thinking about my experience. I kept repeating it over and over in my head:

“A door was opened to me, and I helped deliver children to my father in the (sky)…”

“A door was opened to me, and I helped deliver children to my father in the (sky)!”

What did it mean?

Suddenly, everything in my life changed. I had to change. I was changed…

My job had already changed, my relationship changed, and I moved.

I went to live with my younger brother and his family temporarily and made plans for a career change. In the spare room where they put me up, I found a bible; I didn’t think much about it, but I was drawn to it somehow. I started reading and didn’t stop, I went through it like a novel, cover to cover. As I did, I was faced with another surprise —whoever was behind this book—was also behind my experience. The author of the bible and the One who answered me, were one and the same! When I got to the part in the gospels about “my father in heaven“, I knew for certain!

Since then, I have heard many things said about the bible. But what I found the bible to be after my own very real experience, was a written record of witnesses just like myself down through all of history, who have heard for themselves — from the One True God.

It takes one to know one…

I am here to tell you; you may view the bible with some level of skepticism in much the same way I imagine my own story might sound–but it isn’t so. As wild and mysterious and surreal as it seems, even crazy–I have witnessed the falling away of the reality that I once consider my own life to be, to have it all replaced with the knowledge of something much greater—something infinitely greater—and it is real!

Tiz’ true, tizso…

Scott Allen Taylor

2 Comments

  1. Anne 1/28/2007
  2. Jesse 1/10/2008

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