Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

I recently had a funny moment with the Holy Spirit. Of the ways God speaks to us, for me, most of it seems to happen while I am in the shower. Because of this, I have learned to keep my phone nearby in case I need to take note of a “spiritual download.” I do this to keep the message exactly as I received it.

Notes are usually not necessary when it is a simple FYI or heads-up about something I may explore in the future. Other times it may be specific instructions for me to follow or words for a blog post. I like to make note of it quickly before my imagination has a chance to take off with it and turn it into something I’ve made up. I want to do no more and no less than exactly what God has said. I have learned that this is where many of us go wrong, including myself. It happens quickly. We may easily miss the moment where we have gone from taking the one step the Holy Spirit has instructed us to take, and instead taking five additional steps we presumed were from God but were based on our human logic and reasoning. We run toward something that is completely out of line with what we were told. We unknowingly push God out, lean on our understanding, and still put God’s name on it after we have stepped completely out of alignment with His will and made a mess…but I digress.

On this day, I decided instead of keeping my phone nearby, I would leave it in another room on the charger while I showered. I suppose I needed to confirm I hadn’t become one of those people who panic when their devices are not within reach. As I showered, the Holy Spirit started giving me words I needed to write in a blog post. I quickly pulled back the shower curtain to dry my hands, grab my phone, and take notes. My phone wasn’t there. I laughed because the message I received began to make sense.

I started repeating the words aloud while trying to get out of the shower and to my phone as quickly as possible before losing anything. I grabbed my phone, recorded a voice memo, and then laughed even more about the irony of the message I received.

God speaks to us in many ways and even through other people. On another occasion, at the end of a Pilates session, I was talking with my instructor. She had noticed I seemed a bit “off.” I shared with her that I had not been hearing much from God and did not have clarity in some areas of my life. I explained that I understood it to mean I should continue to rest in what I am doing now. When God has something to say, He will say it. Deep down, I wanted to hear more than a few words here and there about a small task or something I needed to write about. I wanted something profound to let me know He is pleased, and that I can expect Him to do what He said He would do in my life. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever. Okay, “forever” is a bit dramatic, but sometimes it does feel that way.

After Pilates, I decided to stop at the grocery store. In the checkout line, as I was paying and preparing to leave, I paused because I noticed blueberries rolling all over the floor. A woman who was in a different checkout line had blueberries that had fallen. I didn’t want to step on them, so I did not exit the store as quickly as I normally would have. As a result, the woman left the store only a moment after I did. She was a few steps behind me. As I was walking to my car, she complimented me by saying that I smelled good. I thanked her, made a little joke, and continued walking away. She started speaking again.

She said God wants me to know that He sees me, is with me even if I did not think so, is pleased with me, and is working things out. She said more, but I felt as though I had frozen, or time had stopped, and those words were the only ones I could seem to process and understand. I was hearing and engaging with everything she said, but at the same time I was aware that I would not remember anything except that God sees me, is with me, is pleased with me, and that He is working things out. It was not meant for me to make note of anything at all. I only needed to enjoy the fact that just moments after hearing me whine about not hearing from Him, He used a stranger to deliver a message. I am so thankful for her obedience to the nudge from the Holy Spirit to share the message with me.

When I got to my car, I still attempted to make note of other things she said but I could not remember anything. I understood that there will be moments when instructions are given and I should make notes, and there will be other moments that are simple, sweet, and meant to be enjoyed in their fullness at that moment. No cell phone or notepad is needed.

In sharing this, I will add that we must be careful when messages come from other people. We should never assume that everyone who speaks to us about what God says is truly sharing what God has said. When someone shares a message with you, God will confirm for you what is true. Messages received through others that are from God will never contradict God’s Word or what He tells you through the Holy Spirit that lives in you as your helper and guide who leads you to all truth. Spending consistent time with God and deepening your personal relationship with Him will help with discernment in every situation. In this case, I had just shared with someone close that I had not been hearing much from God. He knew it was important that someone else who was unknown to me should be used to deliver His response. The words spoken to me were words of encouragement that are fully in alignment with God’s Word and will.

As you continue your journey, I encourage you to not only have eyes to see and ears to hear – but also a heart to obey God even when it does not make sense in the human realm. Be ready to hear from God and be used by Him at any time and in any number of ways.

Your time spent reading this post is deeply appreciated. If you prefer listening, all blog posts are available on SoundCloud.