One Thing

My husband and I have five kids. The oldest started his freshman year of college this year. In the next four years, three more will turn 18 and their “adult lives” will begin. I’m acutely aware the time to teach and shape them while they’re in our home and care is running out. When you’ve got a limited amount of time to get things done, you start to prioritize. What is the one thing I want them to know? What is the life skill that’s most important? When they’re faced with a big decision, when they’re hurting, when they’re lost, when they’re far away and living their lives, what do I want them to know? What do I wish I’d known? If you’re anticipating the answer is God, it’s not. I want them to know God speaks and how to hear His voice.

My children know who Jesus is. They’ve accepted him into their lives and for that, I’m eternally grateful. But as a parent trying to teach life skills to make it through this broken world, that’s not enough. Accepting Jesus into your life does not transform your life. Knowing Him does. Hearing His voice and guidance does. Growing up, no one ever told me God speaks. As an adult, when I started reading the bible, somehow my eyes skipped over all the places it says “God spoke”. I just assumed that was what He did in biblical times, not what He does today. 

I’ve since come to know and experience; God does in fact speak. More than that, he wants to speak. He wants to share his heart, encourage, guide. He wants to take my life, our lives, and reveal the best path forward. He wants to live life with us. And the thing is, He knows everything. He knows what’s ahead, how each of our choices works out, what’s best for our lives, for our hearts.

Friends, as I imagine is true for you, our family is going through a lot. There are serious situations we’re in the midst of. They are not the light things of this life but the very real, stressful, terrifying things of this life. We’ve been up against so much I’ve found myself throughout the day, every day, going to God asking “God, how do you see this? What do you want me to know? What do you want me to do?”. Because the truth is, the problems we’re facing are too big for me. They are out of my control. On my own, I would be a giant mess. Afraid, stressed, angry, lost. Those are human emotions, they’re real, and I absolutely feel them. But it’s what I’ve learned to do next that has changed my life.

I go to God. My routine is to get up early, while the house is still quiet, sit at my kitchen counter, and close my eyes. I will see in my mind a picture of God on the throne, and he invites me up to sit with him. A child with her Father. Sometimes when I’m depleted, sad, feeling as though I have nothing left, I simply rest my head on him and feel His loving arms around me. His comfort and the assurance everything is going to be ok, that the Creator is in full control. Often, I will begin our conversation asking Him “Is there something you want me to know?”. Or I might ask “What’s on your heart?”. Because He’s God, he knows what’s on my heart and always goes straight to what’s weighing on me. 

He tells me how he sees the situation. This morning, when I asked him about one of my kids, he answered me with a question “Do you remember what I’ve told you about him? Do you remember the promises I’ve made?” He reminds me of His promises, both in His Word and what I’ve heard Him speak to me in prayer. I have a conversation with God and tangibly feel my heart change. The fear and stress are lifted. In its place are hope, confidence, and even joy. That God has a plan. That He is working things out. That his promises do not fail. And then God gives me actionable guidance. I like to ask Him what do you want me to start doing? Stop doing? Continue doing? And then I get His responses. There is no greater joy than having your life directed by God. I don’t have a better way of expressing it other than joy.  

As I look to the time I have left with my kiddos in the house, this is where I will continue to focus, on teaching them to hear God, to sit with God, to be in a relationship with God. If you’d like more resources on how to hear His voice, two books we love are Prayer by Timothy Keller and Can you Hear Me? Tuning to the God who Speaks by Brad Jersak.

Blessing you with pressing in and experiencing conversations with God.