“I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord…He will guide you to all truth."

Today’s reflection will focus on the “Alleluia” taken from John 16:7, 13, cited above.

Do you ever have an “aha” moment? You know what I mean…that moment when the bells ring in your brain and it’s like the light switch was turned on all of a sudden and you come to a realization that impacts your very core. The moment when you feel all tingly inside and outside. My friends, I have come to the personal understanding this is when the Holy Spirit is guiding me, and it is such a warm, fuzzy feeling that is so difficult to describe in words. This is when the Spirit comes into my heart, He reveals the truth to me about God, and He leads me into all truth. The Spirit will not speak on His own authority, but He will speak of what He hears and will tell you of things to come.

A question to ponder is do you ever stop to listen to the Spirit? Or, do you get sidetracked with the everyday concerns that come your way and muddy up the Spirit’s conversation with you? I suppose in my own corner of life, there have been so many times when I have felt very alone with the many challenges and opportunities God has entrusted to me that His voice becomes very loud! Once upon a time, there was a woman named Joan who never took the time to listen to His voice because life was trotting along in a very organized and manageable way. Once upon a time, the concerns for others were not as strong as they are in my life today…then one day it all changed. The “once upon a times” were a thing of the past, and God taught me to be present in this very day, not present in the past, nor worrying about the future. To be present right here and now when the need is right in front of my face. Whew!  In Proverbs 19:21, God reveals “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

You might ask, how easy was this woman’s journey? Not so easy, I’m afraid to report. For the record, this journey continues every single day of my life, so it is not over. This journey took me 10 years of asking why and not concentrating on what was right there in the moment. I was searching and grasping onto so many excuses, and having the stubbornness to actually believe that I could handle this on my own; when, my life was actually God’s playbook of my purpose. My purpose is not too complicated, but it is difficult to recognize at times. It changes from day-to-day, and sometimes from minute-to-minute. I define my purpose as being a child of God. That’s it, plain and simple, I am a child of God. I rest in the concept of being a child, which takes me back to being so unassuming about life situations, with no care and worry in the world. The child called Joan was inquisitive and trusting. So this child trusts that God has got this journey every single day and I work constantly to open my heart to His lead.

If you are so compelled, be a “child” today and every day. I know that adulthood can get in the way, and it can often times cause spiritual paralysis. God calls us by name as his children. It’s okay to be a Child…God tells us so!