I was reading a chapter in Savannah Guthrie’s book “Mostly What God Does” where she discusses how one might miss hearing God’s voice. I feel like it’s always there, but sometimes the noise in our lives makes it hard to hear. After reading this chapter of her book, I thought to myself, that is so very true. If you think about the daily tugs and pulls for our thoughts, time and activities like scrolling endlessly for hours, can be hard to hear our own internal voice, let alone God’s voice.

One day soon after my daughter passed away and grief was consuming me I cried out to God. To take it all away. I pleaded. Yet the questioning, longing for answers remained for months. I continued  burying myself and my grief through my work. I took care of others, so that I could avoid taking care of myself.

I struggled so often with “why” and if my daughter was ok. Was she in heaven. Then I had several dreams. Brittany came to me 2-3 times over a period of a couple of years and to tell me she was ok. That it was all going to be ok. I now recognize that was God speaking to me in a way that I would listen. He heard my crying out and through my daughter, he responded. Or did he….

Savannah goes on in chapter 8 to talk about how can we determine if it’s our own internal voice or the voice of God. She explained it wasn’t easy for her and that resonated with me. I don’t think it’s an easy discernment but rather a quiet moment when all the noise has given way to the quiet voice of God coming through. Those moments don’t seem to happen often because we are so very busy doing life.

The Cleveland Clinic defines meditation as a practice that involves focusing or clearing of your mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques.

I thought in my retirement and through my writing, that would lead to getting more quiet. To have more time to focus on meditation and clarity. Yet, I don’t do it often enough. Not sure if it’s because I’m afraid of what thoughts may come to mind and if I’ll understand them or even like them.

What I do understand from my own personal experience and from reading Savannah’s book, is that an intimate relationship in the quiet may be what we all need to hear God’s voice or message. Perhaps it was God who heard my cries and spoke to me through dreams of my daughter. I’d like to think so.

On my next post, I’ll share a presentation I did many years ago on medication and key tips on getting quiet so that you can free your mind of the constant noise of life.

Until next time,

M

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17906-meditation

Mostly What God Does by Savannah Guthrie is in most bookstores and online