Wednesday, 30 April 2008
-
Listening for the Spirit
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ~ Acts 1:8
It’s one thing to believe that we have been given the Holy Spirit and that through the Holy Spirit God gives us power and guidance, but it is quite another to live our lives that way.
Recently, I’ve been trying to notice the Spirit’s leading in my life on a daily basis. So far, I’ve been pretty unsuccessful at noticing it in the moment, or even thinking about it as the day happens. But, I have been intentionally taking time at the end of the day to think back, to focus on times when I can see that God was present in situations, people, words, and actions throughout my day. Sometimes it is easy and I can name lots of ways that God was working, other times it takes some real thinking to come up with just one, but I do it every day in hopes that some day I will see it as it happens, and that I will remember to look for those moments during the day.
Last week, I had one of those moments. I was driving home from work for the day, thinking about what needed done at the house, what I could put off for a while longer, and what I was going to have for dinner, and as I drove several police cars passed me. Before long, I saw them scattered across the road, blocking all but one lane. As I nosed my way through the now heavy traffic with my mind still on random things, I took in the cause of the commotion.
A group of people was clustered around a young boy, who had his back to me sitting on the pavement. His bike lay ten feet away from him, and a slightly damaged car stood idle beside him. The police were there, asking questions and calming the distressed. On the sidewalks around the area, others were gathered in clusters, families, friends, parents and teachers from the school across the street, all trying to get a better view and find out what happened.
As I drove past, some of the pieces fell together for me. Obviously, a child had been hit by a car while riding his bike on the way home from school. It was terrible to think about, but even more terribly and somewhat strangely, I could have sworn I recognized the boy. Something about him had reminded me of a boy who attends the church where I serve, but I had only seen his back.
I tried to reason with myself. How many boys look like that? How many boys attend that school? How many ride their bikes? The chances of it being who I thought it was were slim. In my mind, I wanted simply to continue home. It probably wasn’t who I thought it was, and whoever it was was well taken care of by teachers and paramedics and police.
Yet at the next opportunity to make a U-turn, I did, my heart ignoring my brain. I crawled back to through the traffic and parked nearby. I discovered through conversation with a watching parent that the child was indeed the boy from my congregation, and eventually made it across the street to his side as they loaded him into the waiting ambulance. I quickly learned that he was not injured except for a possible broken ankle, and watched the medics care for him before they headed off to the hospital where his mother worked.
On my way home once again, I was able to call his family and leave them a message letting them know that they were all in my prayers and that I had been present to offer my comfort at the scene.
It was a Holy Spirit thing that I was there at all. My human brain had been half way home, planning the evening. Yet, the Spirit had guided me to a better course of action, one that allowed me to see a child I cared for in need, one that placed someone else ahead of me. I knew, as I headed home, that I had heard the Holy Spirit, and that I had responded to it in this instance. I was reminded of what it felt like to hear the voice of God in my life, and what it means to respond to it – hope, service, and peace, suffering, sorrow, and pain.
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ~ Acts 1:8
Lord, teach me the movement of your Spirit. Amen
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment