Adventures Flowing in God, Part 2

LISTEN WITH THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION

Flowing in God, much like sailing, is the idea of effortlessly positioning yourself to hear from God and connect with His guidance, likened to in Part 1 as a spiritual GPS or God’s Positioning Spirit. Rowing represents our own efforts, while sailing embodies effortless flow. Unlike rowing a boat, which relies on our own efforts and struggles, sailing represents surrendering to God, allowing us to spontaneously hear from Him and be guided effortlessly. God wants us to hear him effortlessly so that our souls may truly live. Isaiah 55:3 underscores this sentiment, urging us to “Give ear and come to me.”

In our metaphor of rowing and sailing, learning to hear God’s voice conversationally involves aligning your sail to catch the Holy Spirit’s wind. By doing so, you open yourself to experiences and guidance that would be beyond your reach if you were merely relying on your own efforts, symbolized by “rowing.” It’s about attuning your heart and spirit to the subtle whispers of divine guidance, allowing yourself to be guided and empowered by the currents of the Holy Spirit.

Learning to flow in God

Finding moments of stillness to hear God’s voice, however, takes practice and guidance, just like learning how to sail. It involves learning to focus, listen, discern, and respond. You may need some help quieting your mind. For some of us, our minds go a mile a minute. Crazy-busy thoughts infiltrate our minds, not letting us have a moment’s peace. We are all overscheduled, overcommitted, and overextended. This makes it difficult to hear God’s spontaneous flowing thoughts above the noise level.

You will recall from Part 1 of our story that my wife Peggy got this brilliant notion it would be fun to tune into hearing God tell us where to go. “Let’s see if we can get the same number exit as a way of hearing in unity,” Peggy suggested. It was an exercise in spontaneous flow, stretching, listening, trusting, pressing in, and practicing hearing Papa God, not just on big things but also the small, even unorthodox things. He was teaching me to listen, to trust, to obey, and to have fun.

We still had miles to drive and plenty of time to sit and wonder what would be in store for us at Exit 298. As each exit passed, my anticipation built.  And then suddenly, I sat straight up from my reclining position. “Look!” I exclaimed, “Exit 289, Montezuma’s Castle, was one of our planned vacation stops. Remember?” Exit 289 was the other exit number I had heard alongside 298. Perhaps this was not a mere coincidence. Encouraged, I adjusted my seat forward and said, “Onward to exit 298.” 

Despite my questions and doubts, we were committed to taking Exit 298. As signs for the exit began to appear, we burst into a joyous shout!

For those of you who are skeptical, remember that we did not know beforehand which exit to take. Without either a global positioning system (GPS) or roadmap, we had to rely on tuning into God’s Positioning Spirit to get where we were going.

God showed up despite my doubts. How cool is that!?

Jeremiah 29:11 says that it was not my plans but his. “I have it all planned out. Plans to take care of you, not abandon you.”  And God did hear and answer. “You will call on Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear your voice, and I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:12). Not only did he listen, but he also acted on our desires to hear him and guide us. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”  And I can assure you, I was far from disappointed.

Overjoyed and more confident I wanted to go deeper with God; I was ready to embark on the next phase of our journey together. “Okay, God! Now where do you want to guide us?” 

When we exited the highway, Peggy asked – “What are you hearing, right or left?”  To our amazement we both heard “left.” In that moment, the song Jesus Take the Wheel took on a deeper meaining. “Every time there is a choice for a turn – let’s ask God,” Peggy suggested, solidifying our commitment to seeking God’s guidance at every crossroad.

As we approached a roundabout, we had to make a quick decision to go left, right, or straight. I froze momentarily. Initially, I heard “go left,” but quickly reconsidered and opted to “go straight,” as that seemed the most logical, considering that traffic flow around the circle was mostly going in that direction. Peggy also heard God say, “Turn left.”  So, in unity, we made the left turn. The left turn led us into a picturesque neighborhood where each home featured a unique adobe style with classic red ceramic tile roofs set against the backdrop of red rock cliffs. It was absolutely beautiful!

Upon leaving the neighborhood, we came to an intersection. Straight ahead and across the highway, about one mile, sitting at the base of a fifteen-hundred-foot cliff surrounded by immense red sandstone formations, was the Chapel of the Holy Cross, another destination on our wish list, further confirming God’s divine guidance.  

Rational Thinking

Had we not made the left turn and all subsequent turns yielding to God’s Positioning Spirit (GPS), we would have missed the opportunity to see the Chapel of the Holy Cross. God is such a loving and kind Father to have taken us there.

Indeed, it is a common human tendency to make our own plans without seeking God’s guidance. Our perceptions of what is best are not always accurate, and sadly, when we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can easily go astray from God’s intended path, and risk missing His divine revelations and blessings that await us, especially on the less traveled paths or off-roads of life.

However, when we trust the Lord completely without regard for preconceived ideas and plans and rely on Him to guide us, He will lead us in every decision we make; He will lead us wherever we go (Proverbs 16:9). Further, intimacy with God opens the door to hearing Him. Whether we turn to the right or to the left, our ears will hear His voice saying, “This is the way” (Isaiah 30:21).

God has an extraordinary plan for your life, perhaps a path you hadn’t considered. How will you discern that you are on the right track? Once you have discerned the right path, how will you remain steadfast?

Remember, the Lord longs to be gracious to you (Isaiah 30:18), to show lovingkindness to you, and to bless you abundantly. So, resist the urge to navigate life on your own, a life without flowing in God’s guidance. Instead of rowing, position yourself to hear from God and connect with His guidance, the Holy Spirit’s wind in your sails.

Continue reading “Part 3 Adventures in Flowing in God”

PREVIOUS LINKS:
Adventures in Flowing in God, Part 1

Copyright 2020
by Bill Hutzel & Peggy Castorri-Hutzel

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