One morning Austin asked me how I was able to hear God speak to me. And, my reply was “through the Spirit, the Word, praise music and other people.” I also told him how it felt when the Spirit showed; it is like a tingling or electrical current running through my veins. I haven’t always been able to hear and feel God. God’s power within me showed up after years of reading and studying God’s word and spending the first part of my day in prayer, thanksgiving and worship. You cannot hear God’s instruction for your life until you read God’s instruction in the Word of God. The Bible contains all that you need to build a relationship with the Lord. God is real, and you can see, feel and hear God when you ask God to enter your world.
I have always believed in God, but I spent many years ignoring God because I wanted to live life my way, not God’s way. About seven years ago, I decided I wanted to know and feel what others experienced as they walked life with the Lord…thus began my journey with God. The crazy and unexpected part about walking with the Lord is that sometimes your life becomes even more chaotic and crazy than you ever thought it could be. You often find yourself asking, “Why is this happening to me Lord? I am finally walking with you. Why has my life experience worsened?” Years of chaos will suddenly bring you to a point in living life where you understand it’s the existence of evil spirits.
You finally acknowledge that evil exists here on earth and the battle can only be won with a more solid foundation of faith in the Lord. When you become prideful and think I got this…BAM! You are struck by blows of evil. At that moment, you must reach out for God’s hand to pull you closer. Then, you will be able to live within the circumstances of your life no matter how hard they may become. Through our suffering, pain, hardship and grief, the Divine One has opportunity to shape us into an ultimate masterpiece.
I have countless examples where my plans (let me emphasize “my”) were changed so God could do the sculpting. God’s plans are very different from my plans, and God has made that very clear. Now, I ask God to provide the plan instead of making the day about my plan. Every day that I relinquish control to God and accept God’s ways, God pulls me closer. Then, one day God touched me. I mean really touched me. Let me explain that day.
I woke up and entered a whole new experience with the Lord…one that exceeded my human mind’s ability to process. After Joe kissed me and left for work, I felt a tapping on my shoulder blade, and it wouldn’t stop. I continued to feel the tapping and so I asked, “What do you want?” and the tapping momentarily stopped as I spoke those words. Then, within seconds, it started again so this time I said, “What do you want? I am listening.” Again, as I spoke, the tapping completely subsided until I stopped talking. When it started again, I laid there and felt tap after tap after tap. I knew it would stop again if I spoke. I started a full conversation with the Lord, which included thanking God for the wonderful morning, for my life, for working with my relationship with Joe, etc., and then I followed that with prayer for friends that continue to suffer through grief and trials of many kind.
Guess what happened during my thanksgiving and prayer? No more tapping on my shoulder blade. Did it resume at the end? No, as I had done God's will.
God wanted to have a conversation with me before I arose from my bed, but, of course, it wasn’t all about God desiring a conversation with me. God knows we talk every day. No, today was about sharing that "God touched me", with the rest of the world. God is real, God loves you no matter what, and God wants a relationship with you.