⇾God trying to get our attention and speak to us sometimes can be a whole lot like running out of gas. Ask me about how I know. It has happened to me many times (to my husbands dismay). The high-tech console on my dashboard warns me that there are 30 miles left of gas and I quickly figure in my head about how many miles there is to my destination versus the nearest gas station. A few more miles down the road a bright red light flashes next to the fuel gauge again reminding me that my car is in dire need of sustenance! Then a few minutes later a bell softly chimes again trying to gain my attention while I chat on the phone or sing loudly with my favorite CD. Suddenly with total shock and awe I am dumbfounded that my engine is no longer running! I press on the gas and nothing happens. I steer hastily to safety to the side of the road with my heart pounding and panic-stricken at my dilemma!! What can be wrong? How can this be happening to me with no warning? And most importantly....who is going to rescue me?
A whole lot of times God gets a bad rap for our inability to see or hear His voice warning us or guiding us the right way. We know there is a problem but most of us try to solve things in our own time frame and within our own abilities....therein is where the issue lies. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite passages expressing the plan God has for our lives and it is all for good. But as we are on this ride of life we are so busy doing and being what we feel God wants us to do that we ignore the gentle signs, voices and reminders that are to help us navigate successfully. I truly believe that God does not "give us what we can handle but He helps us handle what we are given". Which gives us a whole new meaning to "Jesus take the wheel!".
God talks to his children in so many ways. He uses his Word and goes into great detail to show us how to act and how to treat others. He uses people to speak into our life as well and to sharpen each other....often times by rubbing each other the wrong way! Our sometimes lengthy lessons are also another way we can hear God's voice and see Him at work and as Joyce Meyer often says, "There is no such thing as a drive-thru break through." Often times when we are contemplating a decision and we don't have 'peace about it' it is actually the Holy Spirit trying to communicate and get our attention. Audible voice is yet another way God chooses to speak and sometimes I'm surprised He doesn't holler at me! Thankfully His mercy and grace are new every day!
Of course out of all the ways I wish God would speak to me about my life would be in a burning bush like Moses experienced in Exodus while minding his own business, I might actually pay attention then! But unfortunately we have to learn to shut our mouths, turn off the music and distractions and listen to the still, small voice that is there directing, guiding and encouraging us to greatness. We have to take responsibility for what we put or don't put in the "tanks of our lives" so that we have the time to spend with our creator to learn His voice and His ways. Because if we don't get the adequate dose of the word and prayer time that is needed to fuel us we will find ourselves crying out to be rescued continually and on the side of the road of life wondering how we got there. Just a thought =D
--Jonna
