How do you know when God gives you the word that you need to do something or go somewhere? I believe that we all have a built in guidance system that came with us when we were born, just like an additional limb. Call it the Holy Spirit, intuition, a gut feeling, dreams, a sixth sense, or a hunch...whatever you call it, God uses it to communicate with you. I recall a phrase from my Southern Baptist days..."being convicted." Not only does God use this direct line, but God also uses the world around us to give us signals along our journey. Carl Jung called this synchronicity. At some point along the path a thought or a feeling comes to the fore of our consciousness, activated perhaps by something we saw, read, watched, experienced, or heard. It may make no sense in the moment to us, but there it is nonetheless, asking for attention. For instance, you're driving down the road and you see a license plate that says, "APRIL34." Suddenly you think about your sister, whose name is April, and wonder what she is doing. You recognize that it's been longer than usual since you've connected and so you make a mental note to check in with her. A few days go by and the thought slips further and further from your mind until one day you hear from your mother that your sister has been in crisis. You double check when you had that thought and realize that it was the same day she went into crisis and you kick yourself for not making the call.
Now this is a simple example of daily occurrences of such thoughts and feelings, but what about the bigger movements that happen in our lives? As I was listening to the radio today I heard a story about a Sat. Night Live comedian, Jim Breuer. This story was about watching his nephew grow up in an unstable environment. Jim knew that this kid was going to be a troubled kid. He even had the thought that he should take him in, but things in his life seem to indicate that the time wasn't right. Sure enough slowly over the years this kid got into more and more trouble until he was sent to prison for arson. He was in his early twenties when he finished his jail time and at that time Jim was married and had two babies at home. His wife made a comment to him that they should consider taking him in. He was quite skeptical and very cautious because he did not want to expose his family to harm. Long story short, Jim did take him in. And after three years of blood, sweat, and tears, his nephew became an amazing young man. Jim confesses that it was a hard path that required constant dedication and attention and that he did it because he had hope in his nephew. He even inspired some of his friends to follow suit, but most of them sent the kids packing after a month or two. Jim knew that his nephew would be lost if he didn't take him in and love him in a way that he had never experienced.
Most of us, if we even followed the hit to take in such a kid, would have done as his friends and sent him packing when it got too uncomfortable or inconvenient for us. In the Gospel this week, Joseph faces such a moment. He had already decided how to handle the "situation" that Mary was in. He cared enough about her, that he didn't want to see her stoned to death, so he had a plan to quietly send her away. Except God had another plan. He had a vivid dream where he was told to instead take Mary as his wife. Now no amount of rationalization could explain what had happened, but Joseph knew in his deepest being the right path to take. So against all odds, he listened to the guidance as it was given to him, didn't question it as far as we know, and as a result Jesus was born.
So why do you avoid, sabotage, or deny the guidance you are given? Have you become so rational that you no longer hear the voice that calls to you in the depths of your being? That place where God has written the laws of love on your heart?
During this last week of Advent, take the time to be still, to listen, to hear the voice that invites you to engage the creative process of life in a profound and life changing way.
Blessed Adventide to you!
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