Session 9: How God Helps Me Choose

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You face innumerable choices every day, and God is present in those choices, quietly helping you to decide…

Breathe in and breathe out… breathe in and breathe out… lift your face up to God, and feel God’s radiant peace…

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Listen now to how God calls Samuel in the dark of the night…

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

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torches

soma sova

Discernment is discovering among good things what fits better with who you are before God…

And there are three ways in which clarity comes… in a sudden undeniable illumination… in a peace that settles through experience of consolation and desolation… or in a thoughtful working through of the reasons for and against…

There may be obstacles as inevitable as gravity which have no solutions: accept them and devote your energy elsewhere… There may be obstacles like an anchor which can be lifted with a shift in your assumptions: name the assumption and imagine life without it… Remember, God leaves it in your hands to make every discernment in freedom… and God’s love does not depend on getting it right…

Is there a discernment you are facing at the moment, or one that surfaces in your memory? Picture choosing the first option: how does it feel…?

Then picture choosing the second option: how does it feel…? Notice if the obstacles have the inevitability of gravity or can be lifted like an anchor…

Can you imagine yourself a year down the line having chosen one or the other option…? Which of those carries more peace…?

Imagine it was a friend who was facing the same choice… What advice would you give them…?

Imagine telling God your decision… how does God respond…?

Ask God to walk this decision with you… speak to God about how you feel about it… or the reasons for and against… and listen to what God is saying to you…

As you go about your life today, imagine that God is not waiting at the finish line, but present with you in all the discernments you are making… Catch yourself today in one of those moments where you feel you must do something, and ask yourself whether God is offering you another way…

God, before all else, you are the ground upon which I stand, you are holding me in being, and you love me every day.