Fire. Certainty. Joy.

I stumbled across this while reading "Church Planter" by Darrin Patrick.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a French mathematician and theologian. At the age of thirty-one, he had an intense experience of God's presence. He never spoke of it to anyone, but he did write a short journal entry about it, which he then sewed into his coat so he would always be reminded of it.

Pascal's memoriam:

"In the year of grace 1654, Monday 23 November...
From about half-past ten in the evening till about half an hour after midnight.
FIRE.
God of Abraham. God of Isaac. God of Jacob.
Not of the philosophers and the learned.
Certainty. Joy. Certainty. Emotion. Sight. Joy.
Forgetfulness of the world and of all outside of God...
The world has not known thee, but I have known thee.
Joy! Joy! Joy! Tears of joy...
My God, will you leave me? Let me not ever be separated from you."

May this serve as an encouragement to seek God in this way.