What an honor, to have a Grandson ask if I’d share a thought or two with all of you!☺
I prayed for wisdom. I opened my heart.
Then I read Chase’s heartfelt words on 9/9. Emotions stirred, I struggled with God.
I questioned my ‘peace meter’, and surrendered to, “I know, that I know, that I know”. Thank you Chase. Your words were the window.☺
Then the Evil One blasted me all week, which he’s known to do. God’s Word makes it very clear, ‘The Evil One goes around searching for the ones to devour’. He always knows your weak spots & piles it on until you think you cannot breathe another moment. So be aware Dear Ones! Sweet Ms Hannah appears on 9/16 with words of truth and strength.
I stomped on the Devil’s head, in the name of Jesus and found my balance again.
Thank you Hannah.
What I did come away with is the perceptive truth in the Book of Kings.
Have any of you struggled with being open to God’s promptings?
1st Kings 19:11-13:
The Lord said to Elijah: “Go stand in front of me on the mountain and I will pass by you.”
Then a very strong wind blew until it caused the mountain to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of the Lord. But the Lord was not in the storm. After the storm, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet gentle sound, (a ‘Still Small Voice’). After Elijah heard it, he covered his face with a coat, and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
(Re-read that, as that is for all of us)
Have you ever sheltered your face from emotions in front of God? Inquisitive, elated, sad or heartbroken, hurting, pleading, anxious, or singing quietly in praise for something so breathtaking that you never could have imagined?
Maybe a Prompting?
How many gut wrenching uncomfortable moments can you remember, to then find, in the not to distance future, peaceful afterthoughts and revelations?
How many storms have you experienced, to then find growth, gratitude, a new direction by taking the exit you never dreamed imaginable and ending up with _____?
How many earthquakes have you rattled through, feeling like you’re about to fall into the next canyon to then find you’re sailing on a calm balance of, ‘It’s all okay for today?’
Gee, do you think not hearing our ‘Promptings’ could have something to do with us?
Maybe we should be taking a deep breath and believe God’s promises. Believe that we are divinely made ‘for such a time as this’ and that He truly has a special plan for all of us.
Maybe, after the wind, the earthquake, the fire, the newest technology, FB, Snapchats, Twitter, Google, the whirlwind of competition in all and everything, the pursuit of success in workplaces, sports, social and family environments, and, busy with too much intellect, we might ‘BE STILL’ long enough to hear, a ‘STILL SMALL VOICE?
Can you be quiet, physically, emotionally and spiritually, long enough to hear, to sense, to witness, to believe and to accept the message that, sometimes, is right in front of you?
The Holy Spirit speaks to all of us! Is your life to LOUD to let the voice in?
Just as much, have you ever had one of those moments, after fighting all humanly possible avenues of creative thinking, strategic planning, a calculated blueprint, etc, etc, and Wow, the exhausting gray cloud evaporates oh so clearly, as if a cool spring shower is on the way. It lifts immediately as you’re dancing in the rain, singing at the top of your lungs in gratitude! Your ‘AHA’ moment?
I know, pretty deep huh, but hang in there.☺
Gee, maybe a God prompting?
We wait patiently after prayer, but find we’re throwing up our hands. ‘What’s up God?’
We know, according to His promises, He hears us and will always answer us. Our hearts know that. On occasion, it seems the Holy Spirit is not talking to us, but His silence truly is affirming we’re on the right path, to just stay the course. We, as humans, just have trouble with our due diligence, ‘patience’. So why don’t you smile with the understanding that sometimes God’s answers are like the voice of your GPS☺. If there is Silence during our quick trip with Mr or Ms GPS, we always know then, that we are on the best route, heading in the right direction, and, that everything is still A-OK. From experience with this new animated voice, we just continue on the route until we hear the next instructions. Sound familiar? Hmmmm, you think that could be ‘TRUST’?
I could give you many different little stories of ‘Aha moments’, heartbreaking ones, lightning bolt ones, family ones etc, but this is a fun one because it truly relates to ‘Trust’ on all levels!
I love to ski. After joining a ski club in my forties to not only experience new friends (which I have through today) but, I was praying to truly and hopefully perfect this new sport to share with my family. There were many lessons, numerous ski trips, especially out west. I had multiple ‘crash and burn’ experiences with dear friends cheering me on and on. I was supported, instructed and finally realized that this special group just plain, ‘had my back’. (Maybe TRUST?) I realized, during this trip being right off the cuff of a very stressful journey in life, that this precious time and experiences truly brought my lightning bolt parallel. I had a huge ‘Aha moment’!
We had traveled slowly up 5 chair lifts on this breathtaking mountain at Big Sky, MT. We skied slowly across and ascended upwards.☺ Above the tree line with the air getting thinner and thinner, we reached interesting altitudes above the snow covered pine trees. Then there was the view, OMG! ‘Wow God, you’re quite the artist’, I remembered saying. But, then I looked up, right in front of me. I’m going to ski off this lift into where?? Not only did my heart sink as I prepared to dismount the safety of the lift, but I heard myself praying as we all do in a unconscious way, ‘Lord help me☺’. All I could see were Clouds. I could hear all the giggles, affirmations and cheers from the entire group waiting at the top. Standing in a row like happy soldiers, skis hanging over an edge with no visible sign of a side of a mountain or trail, I heard, ‘Come on, you’ll love it’!
Followed by the sighting of a bouquet of waving ski poles, tee hee, I heard myself saying out loud; “You’re asking me to do WHAT?”
Have you ever had one of those moments? ‘You’re asking me to do, WHAT God’?
Help a stranger, hug a hurting soul, forgive an old coach, forgive a love one, write a note of gratitude to a loved one that broke your heart, submit to a boss or professor’s instructions to be open to new ways, exit or take a turn in life without a clear map, at that moment, from God?
Interesting, Promptings, for some reason, always have an action partner, ‘TRUST’.
So, I made my way off the chair lift, actually smoother that I could imagine, and even so, found myself waving back with one of my ski poles. Now mind you, as I slowly, very slowly inched my way over to them, I could see absolutely nothing pass them except sky, (Time to take the chairlift back down, I thought). Their instructions were simple: ‘Hurry, join us! ‘When your skis pass the halfway point where you feel yourself heading downhill, take a deep breath, a slight jump, lean forward and then TRUST. TRUST your equipment and your knowledge. You know this, and love this Sandy’. ‘TRUST yourself, your experience and just let the skis do what they were made to do, ENJOY!’ ‘Don’t think just TRUST!’
I immediately was thinking, ‘You have got to be kidding me, Jump? I swallowed!
We know in our hearts that God ‘has us’. In Romans 8, ‘God can see what is in people’s hearts. We know, ‘that in everything God works for the good of everyone who loves Him’.
We know in our hearts that through prayer, ‘I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me’ and a new energy and confidence explodes!!
Needless to say, after numerous mumblings under my fuzzy neck gator, I followed their lead. As each friend jumped, squealed and took off down the mountain side with grace, jubilant laughter and love for their sport, I found the courage to follow☺. After the first ¼ mile down, I heard myself loud and clear. My friends, on previous trips had shared that they always knew where I was, and how close I was traveling behind them. For they said: “Niep’s always singing and thanking God! Yes, I heard myself praising God for the snow, the beautiful mountain. ‘Thank you God for the trees’ etc etc, in a pole waving, sing songie descent! Screaming all my ‘Woohoo’s and having the most emotional ‘AHA Moment of my life! Wow, this is Trust at its finest. The most sensational, grateful, awe inspiring 2 mile adventure gave me not only this precious ‘Aha moment’ but the lightning bolt of the great parallel with my Faith Walk. From that day forward there was no mistaking, ‘BELIEVE and TRUST’. Thank you Friends and Thank you God!
So, when you really, really believe in your heart and say, ‘I Trust you Lord’, and completely let it go, as your act of faith, you get your “AHA’ moment! He opens a window☺. He opens a Heart. He opens an idea. He opens the new path. He opens a new friend. He opens His truth. And in your ‘Quietness’, a ‘Still Small Voice’ WHISPERS to you! And, there is your lightning moment when you acknowledge, ‘I know, that I know, that I know’!
I Trust You Lord”. Gee, you might even experience some of the side effects; Joy, Peace, a Calmer Outlook, Restful Sleep, Patience, a new level of GRATITUDE, and actually a whole new agenda for your, now, next new ‘CHOICES’.
Heartfelt Blessings to you all and I hope to hear you singing real soon on your mountain side travels.
AKA Mema
And, as my precious Grandson always signs off;
“We appreciate you”