Daily Inspiration

In my blog entry, What is Your mission Today, I wrote about listening for God’s answer. I got a lot of feedback on that article, which can be summed up as, “I wish I could hear God’s voice as you can.” I now realize that I need to explain how I hear His voice.

Once, while laying alone in a hospital bed, I heard an audible voice with my ears that gave me a command. Just once. More often through the years, I have heard that same voice internally, somehow in my mind, and on occasion, I will have dreams that are unlike other dreams. Those three forms of communication have totaled a very small amount of time the Lord has communicated with me.

None of those times do I believe God Himself has spoken to me, but instead one of His messengers. I’m comfortable saying this since God chose a messenger to speak to His Mother Mary when He asked her for permission to bring Himself to Earth through her. If the Lord chose a messenger to speak to His mother, I’m sure He didn’t speak directly to me but through a messenger.

“The Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary.” – Luke 1: 26-27

Oftentimes the messages come from Scripture, and the daily Mass readings, that seem to be placed in front of me at the perfect moment. However, the vast majority of God’s communication with me comes from you, and from others, who are themselves listening to the Lord. That is why it is so important for us to talk to each other about God. We never know when our words, inspired by God, will be the answer to someone’s prayer.

I’m going to share with you one recent conversation I had with God. As strange as this sounds, I have some of my best prayer time while mowing the grass on my tractor. It’s loud and fast, and everyone, dogs, kids, and neighbors know to stay far away while I’m mowing.

While flying around the yard, I talked to our Lord and asked Him a series of questions, and I ran a couple of ideas by Him as well. No booming voice or quiet whisper was heard. That’s Ok because the first lesson I have learned since my wreck is patience. Those who know me will say I am still in need of some learning.

The next day, I received an email from a gentleman, that answered the first part of my question. I gave God thanks and continued to wait for the rest, but it was a start. That same evening, I received a phone call from another friend, who said she just listened to a homily, and she kept hearing my name in her mind as she listened. She told me where to find the homily, and asked me to listen. Again, I thanked God and her, then I proceeded to listen to the homily. At the very end of the priest’s talk, he said just a few sentences, that answered the rest of my questions from the previous day.

Now, this is a record time for an answer, and I’m still waiting years later for some answers that haven’t come. I remember patience; God will give His answer when it is time. He often chooses to answer us through others just like you and me. I am thankful for those who feel that little nudge to say something, to do God’s work. We never know when the words we say will be an answer to someone’s prayer. So, speak up. I am so grateful to all those who have opened their mouths and passed on God’s message to me.

While I love getting emails from everyone about these blogs, others may benefit as well from your words. Please fill in the comments below. Here on this Earth, you may never know how important your words may be to the one reading or hearing them; you may never know when you have been one of God’s messengers.

May the Holy Spirit open our ears to hear, and give us the words to speak, Amen.

Ed

“For it is not you who will be speaking, but the Spirit of your Father, who will speak in you.” -Matthew 10:20