Conversations with God?

Digging at hearts

Do I believe these happen? in one word, yes.

I don't know that there is any specific way to for sure, for sure TELL that you've heard from the God ... some pastors or teachers have a list that you can pull from to measure against scriptures, align with the words of Jesus, etc, etc.  And God can speak in a variety of ways, some miraculous and others, not so much, but just as divine. 

Sometimes, when I think I hear God, it's in the form of a self-conversation. Let me explain.

 I'll be praying and thinking and wondering what God might actually tell me in a certain situation and sometimes I'll hear an answer.  My (very, very unofficial gauge) as to whether it's from God, is; is the statement really, so superly smart that there is no way I could have come up with it ... and also, it's usually very short, like two to three words or one quick sentence.  I know, I know, that sounds a bit fruity, and I guess it is, but they don't call it faith for nothing.

So, here was my morning.  I am still fasting, and struggling a bit with what to pray about so I've been just covering the bases everyday, praying for family and friends that come to mind and our band, mission and life.  I decided to go for a run this morning and tho I usually listen to music, today I couldn't find my iPod, so out I went with no music, and I decided I would pray as I ran.

I started my run right outside our beach access and immediately I saw a little, unassuming blue plastic shovel, laying there in the sand that was being washed by the waves, a bit submerged but still visible. and I had this thought spring into my head. "You should pick that up" ... that's silly I thought, what the heck would I do with a child's sand toy, so I kept running. Immediately I had this nag that I should go back and pick it up, ... k, silly, but after all, God asked Ezekiel to do some weird stuff ... he could ask me to pick up a shovel ...  then I heard another thought "how will you learn to hear my voice if you don't obey in the simple things" ... ok, I turned around ran back and picked up the shovel.  It was light and blue and covered in sand and as I looked at it, another thought "Digging at hearts", you will dig at peoples hearts, was the impression ... I thought about that for a moment (all the while, I had placed the shovel back down and am now running along the sand, normal morning run).

Had I heard from the Almighty? or was it just my imagination? I guess one can never be certainly certain, except it then made me think and reflect on our music, our worship, what I seem to be, and evermore feel like I am called to, and how God really does sometimes "dig" at our hearts.  He has to, for so often we make our houses over them, build walls around them to protect ourselves from certain hurt. God can only work at the willing hearts, only He can soften our hardness, shape our lives, make us more like Him.

On my way back, I did see that little shovel again, and I brought it home, to remind me of what maybe I should be doing, and also to remind me to be pliable and shape-able in His Hands.

Till Next Blog ~
love, a.