Then, in late May, God expanded his guidance which became “Be Still, Listen, and Trust.” This challenge became even harder because trust is an issue I’ve struggled with in my life of hurts, abuses, shame and guilt. Not only was the focus expanded, but a few more songs joined the list for me to learn from the words. I wasn’t quite sure where God was leading me with his coaching, yet did realize that he was dosing out his message in chunks to not make it so overwhelming. Guess he knows me pretty well.
Oh, but God wasn’t finished because just one month later, near the end of June, the command expanded once more—it is now “Be Still, Listen, Trust, and Hope.” Just like before, with the new focus came some additional songs to reflect upon—these were specifically about surrendering my will; to "Let Go and Let God". I play them all the time—they are so centering and ever so helpful.
I’m not real sure how others approach journaling, so I can only speaking about my own experiences. Here are a few examples of how I transition from "me" writing to God writing:
- The pen is yours Lord. Do with it as you desire.
- God, can you help me release my fears and stay in the moment of NOW?
- What message do you want me to know today?
- Thanks for listening, God. Now it’s my turn.
- I really need to sit and just listen to you. What lessons do you want me to learn?
In all of these situations, I hand over the pen and give God the gift of writing back to me. I know some might think this is pretty far fetched. To illustrate how deeply powerful and moving it is to hear God chat with me when handing him the pen and paper, I want to share some passages from my journals:
During one journal session I was venting to God about some unfairness that happened on the job. I had done something to help another, but my good deed was not well received by a manager I had at the time. She was really into image and I was into doing the right thing. Even so, I was on the receiving end of corrective coaching...you know, the feedback that is a gift with no return receipt.
