Discerning God's Voice

Is that the Voice of God or am I just hearing voices?

I think God interacts with every person uniquely, so I can only really share how I discern God's voice in my life.  

The Little Voice

I listen to my gut.  Literally.  When something is amiss, I get cramps.  When I am following my "call", my digestive tract feels fine.  Checking in with my physical reaction helps for small daily decisions (Should I return that phone call?  Should I respond to that Facebook post which upset me?), but also for larger decisions.

When I had to decide whether to let my teaching certification lapse or take a bunch of classes to renew it, I trusted my gut.  I sat with the idea of signing up for the classes and had horrible pain.  I sat with the idea of letting the certification lapse, which went against my common sense, and I felt relief.  Since letting it lapse, I have been drawn to work that doesn't require that certification.

The Big Voice

Every once in awhile...maybe once a year or so...I have an experience that actsince

 involves words.  Generally, it is a sentence that I hear.  The sentence is in my own voice and in my own head.  No one else hears it.  There isn't an external way for me to "test" it.  I know it is from God for two reasons:

1. The words said shock me.  They aren't expected.  They are orthogonal to what I had been thinking.

2. The words sit well in my gut (see The Little Voice).

I have several examples of hearing the Big Voice, and I will try to write up a few in other blog posts.  The example I'll give now is the latest one that's happened to me.

An Example
Every time I've changed churches, it has been due to external circumstances... I moved.  I was offered a job at a different church.

I thought poorly of people who jump from church to church every few years.  I wasn't going to be that person...

But this spring, following the gut test, I decided to start visiting other churches, to see if I (and my family) should stay at our current church or if we should start considering a change.  I had it all planned out.  Over a year or so, we would occasionally visit another church, and then maybe decide.  Instead, that Sunday, as I was walking out of the church we had attended for the last five years, I heard:  "Well, that's that.  You're done here."

Wait!  That wasn't my plan!  I was going to ease out!  I was going to have another church waiting in the wings first!  How would the church possibly survive if I left all my important posts so abruptly!

But then I noticed my physical reaction.  My gut was the most calm it had been in months.  My shoulders relaxed.  I realized that I could easily hand off my tasks to other competent people.

My son and I found our new church by way of his intuition... After our first Sunday worship service there, he turned to me and said, "I think we have found our new church!"

Sitting with God

As much as people seem to think I'm a great pray-er... I'm pretty horrible at routine prayer.  I can pray spontaneously for someone, if asked to.  I can remember to pray for someone at a set time (while they are at a doctor's appointment, an interview, or doing something difficult).  I can pray to God when there is something specific I want. But remembering to pray or mediate or just "hang out" with God?  Not so great.

Right now, I don't even have an excuse of being busy or having a full schedule.  I have plenty of time for daily time with God.  I can't even explain why I don't.

So this morning, I did two things.  I made up a daily "chore" list for myself.  It includes sifting the cats' litter box, doing sit-ups, and praying.  I then went through the list.  I saved praying for last.  Or maybe procrastinated prayer until last.

I sat down.  I told God my intention:  "I want to sit with you.  I want to listen to you.  I don't even really have any questions that I want answered today, although I always have questions for you.  Let's see how this goes."

The successful part of this story is that I didn't fall asleep.  I thought about sleep, and my advice to people who are just starting mediating... what would I say to someone who is just trying it for the first time if they keep falling asleep?  I would say, "Fine.  Maybe what you need now is to sleep every time you try to mediate.  It means that you're actually relaxing into God."  But, what if napping becomes the habit instead of mindful prayer?  What about the needs of the present versus the needs of the future?

Our present needs and the greater-picture needs are intertwined.  We can look at them independently, but they are connected and enmeshed.  Similarly to the prayer versus action continuum.  They work together and are both an integral part of our lives.

So, that's what I thought about as I attempted meditation or sitting with God.  Maybe next time, there will be fewer thoughts and more peaceful quiet.  Or maybe not.

Hospitality

A few months ago, I was recovering from having houseguests back-to-back for several weeks.  I mentioned to a friend that I was glad no one was going to visit us for awhile.  She responded, "Well, I guess you just don't have the gift of hospitality."

I was so surprised and hurt by her statement that I just sat there for a moment.  And then I said (hopefully calmly), "There is a lot more to hospitality than having someone spend the night in your house."

Like many concepts, the word "hospitality" has taken on different meanings over the years.  Biblically, it often meant to have someone stay with you... to provide shelter, safety, and food to the stranger.  Now, the "hospitality industry" refers mainly to tourism (people who can pay for their shelter, safety, food, and entertainment).  We throw around the word hospitality in our churches... mainly meaning welcoming newcomers or providing food for coffee hour.

For me, hospitality does still invoke inviting people into my home, but it is also much more than that.  Hospitality is about the relationship between a host and a guest.  It is about respect.  It is about inviting people into my heart, regardless of geographic location.  I can be hospitable anywhere: in a cafe, in a church, on the street, even in my friend's home.

If hospitality just meant to the people you invite into your house... how's that a spiritual gift?  How many people invite strangers into their house (not including friends of friends for parties)?  Does that only allow for people with houses to be hospitable?

The root of the matter is to treat everyone I meet like a respected guest.  It means making eye contact.  Listening.  Providing physical or spiritual nourishment.

As it says in Hebrews 13:2...
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.