And I wish You still wrote on blocks of stone
'Cause the sound of this world's deafening
And I'm having a hard time listening
And I wish Your will was still written on the wall."
That is the chorus to a song written by Todd Agnew called Written on the Wall. View YouTube here. Love music, but I'm not a song writer (although my buddy, Larry and I once wrote a song about an old person breaking out of nursing home...to the tune of Mansion on a Hilltop), but Agnew always writes songs I can relate to. Its like he is reading my email. First time I heard this lyric I'm like "Yep! That's me. God, just write on a 2 X 4 and smack me in the head with it."
1 Kings 19.11-13 tells us about Elijah. He was hiding in fear of his life in a cave in Horeb. During a conversation with God, God sends strong winds, an earthquake, and a fire, but Elijah waited until he heard God's voice - "a soft whisper" (HCSB) - to respond.
I know me personally I'm not into "soft whispers", I'm more of a blocks of stones, writing on the wall, 2 X 4 to the forehead type of person. Just too much going on in my little min...oh look, something shiny..little mind to stop, focus and listen. So how do we sort through the noise to find the whisper?
For me its journaling. I know, I know, something else to do. "But what if someone else see its. I'm not a writer." And the list goes on and on and on, but I think journalling is valuable on several fronts, with one of those being "listening". I know the doesn't make a lot sense but hear me out.
For me it's a thought filter. Before I write something down, I have to stop [I'm slowing down..ding ding], and think about [focus...ding ding ding] what I'm writing down. First thought is down so I start thinking about subsequent stuff to write down (meditating...ding ding ding). So I'm now listening to my mind and my heart...and so on...and so on.
Found this on the web and though I don't do it exactly like this, this may work for you or at least get you started...copied from http://www.gentle-stress-relief.com/support-files/how-to-listen-to-god.pdf
Write!
Here is the important key to the whole process. Write down everything that comes into your mind.
Everything. Writing is simply a means of recording so that you can remember later. Don’t sort out or edit your thoughts at this point.
Don't say to yourself:
- This thought isn't important; This is just an ordinary thought;
- This can't be guidance; This isn't nice; This can't be from God;
- This is just me thinking..., etc.
Write down everything that passes through your mind:
- Names of people;
- Things to do;
- Things to say;
- Things that are wrong and need to be made right.
Write down everything:
- Good thoughts - bad thoughts;
- Comfortable thoughts - uncomfortable thoughts;
- "Holy" thoughts - "unholy" thoughts;
- Sensible thoughts - "crazy" thoughts.
Obviously things could get a little personal using this technique (which is good in some ways when dealing between your and God), and I realize some of the stuff you don't want in the wrong hands. So write it down. Copy the good stuff and file the other stuff in the 86 folder. But I promise you this technique works (at least for me it does).
There are a couple of other reasons for journaling that I will not get into for now. But give this a try for help in listening.
Wag out.
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