One night sitting on the beach staring up at the stars, a friend and I started talking about the Wise Men's journey. "Could you ever just drop everything and follow that star?" he asked, pointing at one. It hit me square in the face what a crazy thing those guys did back 2,000 years ago!! Looking at that star that night, I thought what my friends and my family would think if I just started trekking across the country with only a star to guide my way. Being the literal person that I am, I pointed out that it couldn't be that particular star that was over the Gulf or it'd be a really short walk - unless we started our journey from way further inland. (Yes, I'm that dim - I was not even being a smart-aleck) Of course, he politely pointed out that it didn't have to be an actual star and we started talking about ways that we might be called to follow God's lead, against all reasoning.Ā Ā
Ā Ā
That conversation really stuck with me. I gotta tell you - it really kinda hurt my pride to realize that I couldn't think of anything at first. I was beginning to feel like I'd always taken the safe, "smart" route, attempting to control my own life, instead of listening to God and following His star. As I pondered the idea over the next few days, I did begin to realize I'm not completely faithless - a few times I've made decisions based on His guidance, regardless of how practical it seemed. Still, the idea changed my outlook. I began to pay attention to how often I'm following Laurie's brain rather than the Holy Spirit living in me. This new awareness led me to try harder to hear God's voice more often. Wouldn't you know - it feels so much better this way! There's a security in knowing that Someone waaay smarter than I am is making the decisions. There's comfort in knowing that failure won't happen - at least not in terms of His ultimate plan. Even when I feel like I've failed, He hasn't and He won't. That's really relieving to a big ol' dope such as I.Ā
Ā Ā
I encourage you to seek God's mission for you more often, even for the smallest decisions. I encourage you to trust that you're hearing His voice correctly. I used to say that it wasn't God I didn't trust but myself - how did I know I was really hearing His voice and not my own - but I've realized recently that harboring that fear is still lacking trust in God. It's a lack in trust that He can make sure I am able to distinguish His voice. And trust me - He can, loud and clear. Maybe I'm behind the game and most of you already are doing this. If so, I encourage you to share how you're following His lead and how that's working out for you. I encourage this because, since my new awareness, I've been having lots of fun watching where other people do have the "guts" to follow stars. It's truly inspiring and just may encourage someone else to be still, listen, and act.Ā
Ā Ā
I'll go first: A little over a year ago, I made a decision to adopt a 4-year-old child so she wouldn't go back into the foster system. I barely knew her at the time and am an unmarried woman who still feels like a child myself most of the time. I had no mothering experience and, honestly, I never even did a whole lot of babysitting. Deciding to take on the care and responsibility of another human being did not at all seem to be practical. I dreaded telling those closest to me because I just knew they were going to tell me I was being hasty or unwise. A few months later, another star in the form of a child asked me if I would be her mother, too. If one seemed crazy, two definitely did!!! I did hear a few dissents, as expected - still do occasionally - but overall, surprisingly, I've received a lot of support. More importantly, though, I've heard God's voice booming the whole time. It's a lot easier to gracefully accept criticism, doubt, and fears (whether from people around you or from within yourself) when God is steadily whispering in your ear, "Don't worry, child. You keep listening to Me and not to them. They know not what I've told you, what plans I have made. You just keep trusting and believing."Ā
Ā Ā
What's your star story? I know a certain instrument-salesman-turned-vicar who, on a whim, stopped in to talk to the pastor on a Tuesday a few years ago. I also know a certain bride who just picked up and moved across the country to be with her hubby. Care to share? I know there's more...Ā
(originally posted sometime in 2014)