Jeff's Journal
How do we understand God's work in our lives?
Some Christians credit or blame God all to easily
for everything that happens to them.
There are natural events which God does not
control, such as hurricanes, tornadoes,
earthquakes, tsunamis and such.
Do you want to be the person to tell the
people of West Liberty that the tornado
was chosen by God to wipe out their town?
Random suffering is a part of our experience.
But our reaction to random suffering is the place
we seek the God who equips us to cope and grow
through even the most tragic circumstances.
How do we know God is here, listening, responding?
I think many people have given up trying
to listen to God. It is because the answers
are not delivered dramatically and clearly.
We must pray that God's answers will come
in God's own time and God's own way.
Disciplined, intensive and creative listening
is necessary to determine what you
sense God is trying to "say" to you.
Really, the act of seeking God, listening,
reading scripture, asking questions
and seeking the answers is as much
of how God wants us to seek his presence.
We might say, as one of our choir anthems is
titled, "The Journey is Our Home."
In this holy and sacred journey we continue
to be spiritually fed, allowing the presence
of the Holy Spirit to move, inspire, teach
discipline and lead us.
I believe God speaks to us through natural events.
I believe God speaks through study and observation.
I believe God speaks through the community of believers
who gather to be on this journey together.
I believe we ask our question, then we gather information
and inspiration from all the above and filter it
intellectually and spiritually through our life
experience.
I believe this allows God to speak without us being
lazy in the process, and simply expecting God
to be a magician, which God is not.
Through all of this we find the powerful, essential
piece which is love, which is God.
Moving to the deeper places,
Jeff