Over the years, I have found that I catalogue peoples responses to particular situations by possible motivations. My kids also know that I provide human commentary to animal antics that we observe in our yard but that is another story. My library of experience, is not only full of Psych 101 type observations (people who respond with anger may be responding because of underlying fear or pain) but is primarily full of my reflections on my own responses, why did I say or do what I did? I also have been privileged to walk with individuals in their difficult times and have been privy to their reflections. All added to my library of possibilities, a library that I seem to draw on more these days. While I thank God continually for these experiences and the gift of being able to catalogue the events for quick retrieval, I recognize that my library has significant limitations. Its use can be based on the assumption that most people respond similarly thus the recognition of the library's name becomes important; it is just "guess-work". So many times my library lets me down, I am lost for a response. It is at those humbling moments when God's glory shines. God love for the individual I interact with stops me from saying something unhelpful and before I can think the most perfect words have come from my mouth. Not words of idle commentary or of "guess-work" but words a gift from God for God's people, divine insight.
I light of my conversation about ordination, I see this as another demonstration of God's faithfulness to his people. The ordained are set apart because they have gifts that point to God; gifts the Church can recognize. One of those gifts for me - discernment. Praise be to God.
2 comments:
I think the greatest example of discernment is when you do something 'outside the book' - you know, you do exactly the opposite of what the book on pastoral care, or counselling or whatever the case may be, says that you should do, and it turns out okay - better than okay, because you've listened to God's prompting.
You are a fabulous example of this - listening to God over the experts.
Not that you don't listen to the experts, because you do. But it's the fact that when God prompts you to do the opposite, you do it, that makes the difference. More than anything, I think this is an example of your faith as much as God's awesome ability to do the right thing in every situation.
Thank you for the affirmation.
So your saying that not only am I a bit cracked, I might also be backwards.
Seriously, God is good. I wish that I could listen more, though and not have to do the guess-work.
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