Sometimes, I just need to talk to my mom. I know she’ll have the right words for the frustration or fear that I’m experiencing. Other times, I know that talking to one of my sisters will help me – they offer me encouragement and open-mindedness I can’t find anywhere else. And sometimes I just need to vent to my dad, who understands my struggles but doesn’t usually let me wallow around in self-pity for very long. I’ve spent my whole life learning who I can go to for a helpful word, or a bit of wisdom. I’ve also learned – the hard way – who I shouldn’t trust, because they don’t really know me or my heart.
I also tend to look to others for words or answers that will solve my problem, or heal my hurt permanently, or make things crystal clear. As much as I love and trust the people in my life who are there for me, I rarely get any of those things I seek. What I may get is temporary comfort, perhaps a bit of insight, and the opportunity to “let things out”, which is admittedly sometimes all I need.
As I grow closer to God, I’m finding that He is always the perfect one to talk to. I don’t always hear an immediate answer when I speak with Him, but what I do get is true peace for the moment. I can be experiencing devastating heartbreak, and while God has never healed it instantly, he has always brought me enough relief and peace to carry on for another stretch of time. When I begin to feel broken down again, I have to go back to Him, tell Him about it, and ask Him to get me through again. In time, He brings about real change, real healing, and real wisdom. I just have to be willing to go to Him time after time to receive those priceless gifts.
In one of Dave’s Engage videos, as part of the God Story study, he discusses opening up my dialogue with God in the morning – and then closing it at night. It’s not something that you go to once, get what you need to survive the day, and then go about your business. I’m really starting to understand and experience the dialogue he is talking about here. I know God wants me to be totally connected to Him, to hear His voice and feel His presence at all times. So he sustains me with a steady supply of peace, if I go to Him for it. This is, for sure, growing patience in me, which isn’t always comfortable! But it’s bringing me to a level of closeness with God that I’ve never experienced before, and it is SO worth the growing pains!
Who do you go to for comfort? Who knows you better than anyone else? If you knew there was someone who would always be able to give you just what you needed, would you seek them out? I hope you do!
Adriel for Fourthstream.com