Stop Searching and Start Listening!

At times I feel like I am still searching for who “I am” and what “I” want to do with my life; and I think I am too old for this, I should already have this down. 

But God does put new desires in our hearts though out our lives. Discerning which is from God and which are your own desires becomes the key.

I have so many different prayers that if God gave me them all at one time I would be overwhelmed! I’d be on gift overload. Looking back I wanted to be singer chick, I wanted to be a Christian Teen Club owner, Christian Concert Event Planner. I wanted to help the homeless, get the prostitutes saved, raise awareness to the human trafficking rings, see where I am going with this?

 My thoughts and My ways are above and beyond you,
        just as heaven is far from your reach here on earth.Isaiah 55:9 Voice

I thank God that His thoughts are greater than mine!  What God has for you is greater than you can even imagine. Oh I may have been able to accomplish some of those things on my list, but here is the constraint –I didn’t wait, I wanted it too quick. When that didn’t happen I gave up or was distracted by what was next on my list.

When I stopped focusing on “my “ desires I could hear God’s desires for me.  Desires I could not imagine because I felt I didn’t have the skills.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:20 MSG

“I” don’t have the skills, but God can provide them. He will open doors and provide a path for my journey.

Remember God made you, He knows you inside out. He has a plan for you if you will just- Stop searching and start listening!

Listening for God in a Storm

Have you been in a situation where the storm seems so strong that you thought you would drown? You know you should trust that the Lord has the situation under control, but is hard not to focus on the problem at hand.

A year ago we moved back to Florida from Missouri under less than ideal circumstances.  While I was ecstatic that we were moving home and closer to our children and grandchildren, I was angry and hurt by situation I was “forced” into.

When we look back it is so much easier to see God’s Plan unfold.  We now feel we over stayed in Missouri and that God was speaking to us -showing us it was time to go but we couldn’t hear Him because the storm was so loud. My husband lost his job after six months, in fact he had four jobs in fourteen months.  I was sick most of the time while we were there and discovered after eight months in,  that the house we rented had been used as a Meth house. But we pressed on – praying God would “fix” our circumstances instead of listening and watching for Him.  Looking back we see God was answering our prayers, but we were trying to “fix “the situation ourselves.  Then came the big one-the move at a big financial loss.  But that got our attention!

Yes, I was angry and hurt by the situation I felt forced into but the truth is it was my own lack of faith.  Those that were positioned within our circumstances were part of the big plan God was using to bring changes to our lives.

Are you in the midst  of a storm?  God’s word tells us to-

“Be still, and know that I am God” Psalms 46:10 

Take time to pray and then listen for God’s voice and watch for things He is doing, then trust Him.

"Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD!" (emphasis mine) 

Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG