Saturday, August 22, 2009

Hearing and Listening

Wednesday morning this past week I woke up thinking about one of my daughters. She was heavy on my heart. I prayed for her several times that day but didn't call her. The next morning the same heaviness was there again. Later that afternoon I called her and told her how she'd been on my heart for two mornings. She told me that on Wednesday she heard about the death of one of her oldest friends. She said, "It just broke my heart."

I've had moments like this before. I'm not sure exactly what to call it, but somehow I do believe the connection is made through the Holy Spirit.

A few years before my husband died I had a "knowing" that he was going to die. The knowing was so strong that it scared me because I didn't want it to happen. I pushed it away but it returned. During those years the feeling?--words?--whatever it was, kept coming back. I'd pray and ask God to save him, keep his well--all the things you can imagine a person would ask of God in this situation.

When he was diagnosed with cancer in 1997, I knew he wasn't going to survive. Again I ignored what I knew in my heart. But when he died four months later, I wasn't surprised and was at peace about it. I grieved, of course, and cried, but the peace that was in my heart even then couldn't be denied.

We have a friend who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Never, since the diagnosis have I had one doubt about her surviving this illness.

My thoughts aren't clear on all this, but my trust is sure. God speaks to us in numerous ways. We not only have to hear what he's saying, we have to listen.

1 comment:

  1. "God speaks to us in numerous ways. We not only have to hear what he's saying, we have to listen."

    I'm still learning that. I'm speaking tomorrow night on "Ways God Speaks to Us." I think part of the reason he could communicate with you as he has is b/c of the sensitivity of your heart toward your family.

    I've had a new post up but for some reason it hasn't registered on people's blog list. It is entitled "Dad, Can I Come to Your Office?"

    Warren

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