Look for How God Works in Your Life

Last night I prayed for help with some specific things – forgiveness with a friend I recently let down, help forgiving a couple of friends that hurt my feelings, help to see my role (if so) in it, and the right words to coach someone at work. 

Along with being mortified, I feel awful about missing my friend’s daughter’s christening, especially for no good reason.  I just lost track of my day.  My hurt feelings by some friends has burdened me and is heavy on my heart.  Of course, they may not even know as I haven’t found the words to talk with one and the other hasn’t returned my calls.  But anger, hurt, sadness - those feelings weigh me down completely.  And the kid at work, her lack of maturity infuriates me as she addresses me in a condescending way all the time.  I just want to help her be successful as that is my job – to develop recent college grads to be great in their careers at the bank.  So I specifically prayed for forgiveness, help forgiving and the right words so the kid at work can hear me and grow.

This morning, I woke up to the following devotion from Bread for the Journey:

Right Living and Right Speaking

To be a witness for God is to be a living sign of God’s presence in the world.  What we live is more important than what we say, because the right way of living always leads to the right way of speaking.  When we forgive our neighbors from our hearts, our hearts will speak forgiving words.  When we are grateful, we will speak grateful words, and when we are  hopeful and joyful, we will speak hopeful and joyful words.

When our words come too soon and we are not yet living what we are saying, we easily give double messages.  Giving double messages – one with our words and another with our actions – makes us hypocrites.  May our lives give us the right words, and may our words lead us to the right lives.

Camp St. Christopher

So when people ask me if God answer prayers and talks to me – I unequivocally answer yes.  It took years to learn my role in our relationship - looking for how God works in my life is required to see those answers and hear His words.  Of course, I need reminders of that grace regularly.  But I am truly thankful for the unconditional love God gives and help through, well, anything I am facing.  It means never being alone or without someone who is there for me.  That is pretty awesome indeed.  “Seek and ye shall find” is right – Alleluia. (I love that song :-)

#ThisJane says listen because God can talk to you from anywhere, through anyone and in any way.  He wants to answer prayers and comfort and love all of us - just because He made us.  We just have to be open, look for it and receive it.  Can I get an amen...?  :-)