Are You Listening?

How does God speak to you? Are you listening?

I’m not one of those people who pray and then hear God’s voice. Like literally. With my ears. Maybe some people do. They did in the Bible.

But nowadays, most people receive God’s message through other means. Mine is through music. I’ve posted before about how music has been the vehicle to answer a prayer. This week it happened again.

I had been hopeful, but knew that a couple of quasi-rejections were on their way. And I was right. 

Wednesday, I learned that I was not a finalist in a contest that critiqued the first five pages of a manuscript. I entered two manuscripts. Neither was accepted.

I’d only had a shred of hope left anyway, but the news still hit hard. I’d found out just before leaving work, so getting in the car for the ride home, I was sure the tears were going to come. But on the way home I heard the song that had encouraged me once before. They were the perfect words to express what I was feeling.

I’m so confused

I know I heard You loud and clear

So, I followed through

Somehow I ended up here

I don’t wanna think

I may never understand

That my broken heart is a part of Your plan

When I try to pray
All I’ve got is hurt and these four words

Thy will be done…

I know You’re good
But this don’t feel good right now
And I know You think
Of things I could never think about
It’s hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all Your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that You’re God
And I am not

I truly believe God put me on the path to writing. Even though I’ve gotten discouragement on my journey, He always reminds me that I’m on His mission and I should not give up.

It breaks my heart that I would still challenge God after he spoke to me so clearly, but I was being greedy. There are actually two songs that have encouraged me in my writing journey. And I wanted to hear them both. I threw out the proverbial fleece and waited.

When I first started writing, I pondered whether to put God in my books. He answered my prayer with the following song:

If I told you my story

You would hear hope that wouldn't let go

If I told you my story

You would hear love that never gave up

If I told you my story

You would hear life but it wasn't mine

If I should speak then let it be

Of the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

To tell you my story is to tell of Him

The song ends with a quote from the well known hymn:

This is my story

This is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

I took the word “story” literally. When I wrote my story, my book, it had to be His story.

So, last week I wanted to hear the song. For days, I waited. I have the song on CD, but I knew that would be cheating. I had to hear it on the radio. Then I’d know it was God speaking to me.

I knew that Sunday was going to be another announcement about a competition. This time, I submitted several chapters in hopes to be selected for mentorship. I wondered if God was going to give me that other song the day of that rejection.

He did.

But I didn’t just hear the song on the radio like I thought. We sang the hymn in church. I nearly cried. But by the end I was smiling. God had spoken, loud and clear yet again. Not only did he give me the song, but He had planned it before I even demanded it from Him. Someone had to choose that song in advance of the service. The praise band had to rehearse the song ahead of time.

How does God talk to you? Maybe someone you meet says just the right words you need to hear. Maybe the image your heart needs to see appears in a commercial on TV. Maybe a verse in your Twitter feed touches your heart. Maybe you happen upon a blog post about listening to God and that is the sign you needed.

Be open to the different ways God speaks to you. You can listen with more than just your ears.