Listen to Your Vibes

My husband and I were walking down a dark city street. As we passed by the homeless man, he was slipping out of his shoes to lay down on a pallet created on the sidewalk for the night. I had the urge to stop and sit with him. I paused a beat. My husband looked over and asked if I was okay. I kept walking.

I didn’t trust my vibes. I knew it. I was embarrassed.

I didn’t realize how often I ignored God’s Spirit. I didn’t realize how easy it was to ignore him. I could enumerate the times I have not listened. That I “just knew,” “just felt,” “just believed”, and just kept walking.

We often ask God where he is. Why isn’t he listening? Why won’t he give us a sign, speak to us, show himself?

What if we just aren’t listening?

I’m not much for big gestures, but I think sometimes I’m looking for a big gesture from God. I’m expecting a billboard on the side of the road that says, “Hey, Tracy…” Nothing too flashy. Just some neon lights and glitter to make sure I notice. A small miracle maybe.

The real miracle is that God presents himself to us every day in the ordinary. He is in our conversations, our prayers, the Bible verse stuck in our head, the song on the radio, and, yes, even that intuitive thought/feeling/belief that has no obvious basis in fact.

Encourage the Spirit. Rejoice, pray, give thanks. Listen.

Thank you God for being present in my life. I am so grateful for the “vibes.” Please help me learn to recognize your voice throughout the day. Amen.

Go Deeper — Listening, like any other skill, needs to be practiced and developed. When you hear God this week, or even think you might be hearing him, write it down. See how it holds up biblically. You can even talk about it with one of our mentors.