Sabbatical #13: Waiting for God in the Great Northwest

I’m up with my family in the greatest part of the Great Northwest, Washington State, not far out of Seattle. It has been good to loaf around and spend some time with my brother, mom, grandmother, and dad and stepmom. Today I’m the errand boy, which is nice. It isn’t often that I contribute to the family these days – apart from bringing Eliana & Vivian up, which Suzanne is doing in a few days. It’s nice. I don’t have internet at my mom’s, where I’m staying, so my posting won’t be as consistent, but I’m having a great time working on my relationship with God.

I finished Hearing God by Dallas Willard yesterday and it had some practical words on hearing God. He suggested a prayer James Dobson says he offers daily: “God, speak to me today through the books I read, magazines, conversations, and circumstances.” It was something like that. Willard suggests a prayer like that and then, when you’re waiting to hear from God, to wait to hear while you’re doing something light – like running errands or going through your mail. Situations where you can keep one ear on God and one on the work you’re doing. This keeps from being overly-introspective and “trying too hard” and going to work with such vigor that we’re too focused on our task to hear – at least until our ears have been well trained.

I don’t have a pressing question, but I’m going to try this today as I go on my family errands. Let me know if/how it works for you.