When God Speaks...

...you have to be blind, deaf, and extremely distracted not to hear Him.  I used to think that I had to have morning quiet time and be surrounded by silence to hear God speak to me.  Quite frankly, in a house of early risers-3 of which are mouthy girls(like their momma), 2 big dogs and a cat that is the model of 'curious cat', I have given up on morning quiet time.  For a few years of my life I truly thought that meant I would not be able to have a close relationship with God until...LATER.  When life would allow me to have early morning quiet time.

And yet, as I look back over my life, I can see that I have had a strong relationship with God all along.  He has matured me despite my circumstances and despite my 'giving up'.  What are some of the ways He has 'spoken' to me?

• Once upon a time in a rocky place in my marriage, I wanted a divorce.  I searched the scriptures over and over and could find no comfort.  (This is NOT true for everyone, by the way, but it was for me.)  I was so mad at God.  I wanted what I wanted.  I stayed in my marriage, like an angry toddler. Soon the valley became a peak and then another valley, then a peak and so on until I learned that marriage is a pattern like that.  Today, I am so grateful to a God that knew it would be the first of many valleys in my marriage----just like ALL marriages have PEAKS and VALLEYS.  A God that knew I could not read through scripture and find a comfortable way out or I would have taken it and given up on something that has grown me and defined me like few other things ever have-my marriage to my wonderful husband.  (Plus I have made him eligible for sainthood for staying married to moody me all these years!)
• I never wanted children.  I come from a crazy, dysfunctional home and I just did not feel like I could risk passing on my negative traits to another generation.  Plus, I didn't like children.  Well maybe one or two, but not all the time...just when they were really cute for a second and then went on about their business(quietly).  All of my children are unplanned and amazing blessings.  To think of life without them makes me sick.  The three most miraculous days of my life are the days my children were born.  They have individually and corporately balanced my thinking and taught me how to be selfless and love unconditionally.  God spoke trust, mercy and grace to me by entrusting me with three beautiful girls.
• I've always loved stuff and looked forward to a day when my house would be filled with beautiful Victorian antiques and cherry furnishings galore.  I wanted everything to be 'just so' and always ready for 'entertaining' VIPs.  God has VERY SLOWLY brought me to a place where stuff does not really mean alot anymore.  Victorian does not appeal to me any more and cherry really shows way too much dust.  The VIPs I choose to entertain these days are my friends and family and they love me whether the house is clean or dirty.  They don't care that my furnishings are 'comfortable' and neither do I.  It has taken many years, but God's message to me about stuff is loud and clear-it is nice but not even remotely eternal.

Now, for the biggest, most impressive gift God has spoke to me lately?  It has come from two very unrelated sources:  My doctor, a man that used to be a little chubby guy but now is thin (I am using his diet plan to lose weight...it is about thoughts and actions more than diet.) and Rick Warren, a man that I have never met who happened to write a book. (The Purpose Driven Life which should be required reading for all Christians!)

These two men came along at just the right time in my life to teach me how powerful the thoughts are that float around in my brain.  I always thought attitude was important, but never realized until lately that it is ESSENTIAL to a happy CHRISTIAN life.   The funny thing is, in addition to those two men, there are more than a dozen other ways God is communicating this message to me:

1. a song on the radio
2. blogs
3. a friend that I love to be around
4. a scripture
5. teaching middle schoolers the book of Esther
6. a sermon
7. a support group meeting
8. a message hidden in the middle of a fiction novel
9. a principal at a new school
10. from the mouths of my children
11. a talk show
12. flipping through channels and finding Joyce Meyer telling me it is all about my attitude
13. losing a dear friend that believed, 'People are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.'

When God has a message for us, He goes all out to make sure we get it.  He takes as many years as he needs to because he doesn't live by a clock.  He is a patient, loving potter.  He knows exactly how I am supposed to 'turn out'.  I am a clay pot that started as an ugly lump of clay. 

Thankfully, by the time God is finished with me, I will be proven PRICELESS by God who already knows I am.