Lifeline in the Storm

Have you ever had an inspired idea or a profound thought that seemed to came out of nowhere and thought to yourself, “Huh, I wonder where that came from?” I used to wonder that all the time because I was convinced that I couldn't hear from God.  Erroneously I was waiting for a loud, audible voice. I’m not saying that some people don’t hear from God like that but I haven’t had that experience. Probably because God knows that a loud, audible voice would freak me out. I’m cowardly like that.

I used to be disappointed about not hearing an audible voice until I realized that God created me to be a “word” person.  I love the rhythm and beauty of knitting words together to convey a feeling or a thought. So God’s Spirit, who has taken residence inside my heart, knows that I respond to His gentle prodding through the use of the written or spoken word, most importantly through His Bible. But I have also felt confirmation of His love and direction through a sermon, a line from a movie, or an inspirational quote.

Sometimes someone will say something that strikes me as heartwarming or funny and suddenly my mind will wander off stringing words together into sentences. Or I will see a movie that strikes a cord and I am lost in my own mind again. And you might as well say good-bye to conversing with me during a particularly powerful worship song. My daughter has come to recognize my blank stare because suddenly I’ll hear a “MOM” or see a hand waiving in front of my face and she’ll just sigh and say, “You’re writing again.”

Recently, I've experienced something new and totally cool. I am getting mental pictures that inspire my writing. For example, a few weeks ago during a church service, I got a mental picture of a pearl inside a seashell. This image stayed with me until it seemed to flow right into my Inner Bombshell post. A few days ago, two words came to my mind: sidelines and lifeline. I began to pray that the Lord would inspire and help me put these words into poetry.  As I meditated on these words, phrases came together and I got a mental picture of being tossed overboard. I don’t know why I can’t ever have a mental picture of lying in a meadow of wildflowers? Probably because that mental picture would come with a hungry bear looking for a snack… anyways, here’s how these two words flowed together…

Lifeline in the Storm

Jesus never intended

To sit on the sidelines

Of my shipwrecked life

Allowing the waves

To crush me

Beneath their weight

Drowning in a sea of

Burdens and despair

HE IS

My Savior

A lifeline

In the storm

He wraps that line of hope

Around His mighty waist

And anchors Himself to

God’s amazing Grace

Tossing to and fro

I catch His line of mercy

Crying out:

“Jesus, don’t let go!

Pull me up from this hell below.”

Two arms

Powerful and strong

Raise me up

Higher and higher

Out of danger

Jesus, My Savior

Calls my name

Grasping for breath I look up to see

Two shining eyes of love

Looking down at me.

Daughter, do you trust me?

“Jesus, I’m afraid”

Daughter, do you trust me?

“Jesus, help me trust.”

Daughter, do you trust me?

“Jesus, I trust you.”

Then let go.

"Why Lord?"

Because faith is knowing

I'll catch you and

I’ll never let YOU go

That mental picture of clinging to a lifeline in a raging storm turned into a conversation with my Jesus.  As I pictured myself desperately hanging on and looking up into His wondrous love, I began to prayerfully ask, “Jesus, what do you want to tell me?” I felt the message in the mental picture was this: Jesus wants me to boldly step out in faith at this point in my life. Just like Peter had to get out of the security of the boat to walk on water, I have to stop clinging futilely to the things of this world that I rely on for security: like money, politics, and trying to handle things on my own. Jesus IS my lifeline. He's all I need.  I also have to let go of my prideful nature and the fear of rejection and offending others because those weaknesses hold me back from sharing Jesus with others. This poem is what transpired.

So…

If you’re thinking, “That’s cool for you, but why can’t I hear anything from God?” You do. You just may not recognize it yet.  Let me offer you some hopeful suggestions that are helping me to over come my spiritual deafness.  First, pray that God fills your heart with power of His Holy Spirit completely, daily, hourly, every minute of the day if need be. Then pray that God helps you realize how much He loves you. Get to know Him as your Savior, Comforter, Healer, Father, and Friend. Find a good church where you can be spiritually fed and encouraged by His Word. If you’re in trouble, feeling stressed, or have been hurt, search for a scripture verse and then keep it close to your heart all day long. Sometimes, I will google something like “scripture verse for stress” and then I will read them all. I will look up different translations to see which one speaks to my heart. The one that does is God’s way of communicating His love for me.

God’s word says that those that diligently search for Him will find Him (Proverbs 8:17). That’s His promise to us.  So ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you (Matthew 7:7). God loves you unconditionally. He wants you to come to Him and when you do, prepare to be amazed, inspired, motivated, and sent out. Yes, you heard me….You will be sent out! Because God wants to speak to our hearts and touch our lives, not so we can hoard all that goodness for ourselves, but so that we can go out and show others how to do the same.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us… Hebrews 6:18-20 (MSG)

So how do you hear from God? I’d love to hear your experiences…

Love,

Yolanda