Listening for Clarity

When I listen for clarity, I release all the anxiety and fear surrounding me, silencing doubts, and boldly pursuing the dreams God has firmly fixed upon my mind. I aim to live within that 5% margin of my calling and particular purpose.

This means not hesitating or procrastinating out of bizarre ideology, nor apologizing for the vision or message God has offered. I want to serve others, to step forward. I seek to be a light, a generous fragrance, a gracious beacon of God’s hope.

The call of God rises above my cluttered background noise. I can receive it, allowing his gentle love to motivate me toward action. But if I choose to glide through a comfortable existence, a life of easy expectations, I’ll have limited views of his miracles.

I consider:

What matters most when I boldly seek the Lord?

Are my prayers so puny that human effort could accomplish them?

Twelve years ago, in our early days of parenting three small daughters, God whispered in someone’s ear and we were gifted a minivan. A generous, gracious couple in our church sacrificed to give us a gift they didn’t know we needed. We had only prayed for God’s provision to buy a used car. Their gift felt like a watery oasis in a dry and thirsty wilderness! Because they listened to a quiet leading, they blessed us beyond measure.

I remember:

He has not abandoned us to journey alone!

God works delicately and at times exclaims to me that he takes the impossible and transforms it. He flips my perspective and I can suddenly see a situation in a new light.

Do I only live for some jovial moments in between work and chores and sleep?

Or can my life become so closely intertwined with Christ that upon waking, my prayer is for God’s deep love to spill forth and radiate to others?

I can set a standard to discipline my mind to think of him as much as I can throughout my day. Certainly, actions, and attitudes would be affected and my countenance could be more loving, gracious, joyful. My priorities would be in line with his. Yet to live in a constant state of awareness of his grace, his affection for me, and of his desire for me requires my complete trust, to submit my whole life to his will.

Even if there was minimal human support of my calling, God could fill my soul so completely that I could huddle bravely against the masses and press forward, so certain of his voice. To have such disciplined ears, attuned to his whispers, is indeed a marvelous goal, one which I will seek to develop and refine for the rest of my life. Time spent in prayer, listening instead of doing, living as his beloved, and developing a clear vision of God’s love and grace can shape my ministry dreams and mature my outlook.

Much distraction (and many obstacles) are from my lack of focus on Who leads, even while not knowing where he is leading, or how.