I’ve mostly been thinking of my One Word for 2022 as a noun—dawn, the beginning of a new day.
But it serves as a verb too, as in when a potentially important thought occurs to us out of the blue.
For me, this usually happens in the shower, or maybe three-quarters of the way through my morning run when the endorphins are coursing through my veins.
Something dawns on me—an idea, a realization, the missing piece of the puzzle that I’ve been working on in my mind. It could be something practical. Or a few words I might need to share with someone close to me.
Just the other day, when I was running down the trail, something completely random popped into my head. There was absolutely no reason why I should have thought about this right then. And yet, there it was.
It wasn’t an earthshattering thought. But it was another piece of evidence of how God guides and directs our steps in ways that are often hidden from us until much later.
(I don’t know how this works with anyone else. Please share in the comments if you have an insight.)
I get plenty wrong. And yet, when something dawns on me that feels weighty and consequential, usually my knower knows.
Often, it’s a bit of common sense that I had missed before. Other times, it very well could be the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.
What to do about it—if and when to share it, for example—these are the questions that come next. If it involves speaking to someone else, I’m finding that waiting is usually best. I might write it down, think about it, pray for wisdom (and more wisdom).
I let it simmer, sometimes for days. When I finally do share, it might lead to an a-ha moment for someone else. Or perhaps just a “that’s nice, mom.” I don’t know this in advance, of course. And maybe it’s better that way.
Especially these days, with so much discord, chaos and uncertainty swirling in the world, our emotions can easily distort our thoughts. God might feel distant in the middle of the whirlwind, but He is with us. He guides us in paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
He speaks to us—through His Word, mostly, but also through other people, through circumstances, through random thoughts that seemingly appear out of nowhere.
We have to be careful, though, what we listen to, and to whom. We need to check what we hear and read and sense against the truth of scripture. Just because something makes us feel better about what we are experiencing or struggling with doesn’t mean it’s right.
This goes for me, for you, for anyone we might feel led to share our thoughts with. No matter the topic, we do well when we pray, “Send your light and your truth, let them lead me.” (Psalm 43:3)
♥ Lois
God speaks to us—through His Word, mostly, but also through other people, through circumstances, through random thoughts that seemingly appear out of nowhere. Click To Tweet Just because something we read or hear makes us feel better about what we are experiencing or struggling with doesn’t mean it’s right. Click To TweetP.S. I’m linking up this week with OneWord2021, #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.
28 comments
I love your description of this important process! It sounds quite familiar to me. I especially appreciate this thought: “If it involves speaking to someone else, I’m finding that waiting is usually best.” That’s something I have had to learn out of lots of failures and mistakes (and I’m still prone to speak too soon.)
I would say that the right path actually will always make us feel better. But we may not feel better right away. Or conversely, something that makes us feel better at first may turn to the opposite in time. “By their fruits you will know them.” We have to trust in a process and let it get all the way to the fruiting stage, before we really know. It’s those things we are willing to stick with even though they may involve challenge and suffering for a while that ultimately bring us forward.
Thanks for this sharing of your beautiful word! It’s great to have one that is both a noun and a verb.
Lory, that’s an important point about trusting the process and letting it get to the “fruiting stage.” You’re so right that “something that makes us feel better at first may turn to the opposite in time.” I see this with myself as well as my children … it’s so hard to wait and see what the end result is going to be, isn’t it? Good to hear from you this week. 🙂
Maybe because I tend to live “in my head”, this is one of my favorite things about prayer and conversation with God – He knows our thoughts and by His Spirit can communicate with us when nothing is said out loud! Praise Him! Thanks for this wisdom, and especially the reminder that we do always need to check what we hear, feel and perceive against His Word.
Bethany, I tend to live “in my head” too. 🙂 I can easily steer off course in there, but God is faithful to steer me back in line, even when I don’t know to ask Him too!
I’ve experienced the same, Lois–a random thought that offers wisdom, a solution to a problem, a creative idea, etc. I pray to be not only open to such a Spirit-powered phenomenon, but also quick to give praise to the Source of such thoughts–our Heavenly Father. You are so right about how careful we must be to weigh our impressions against scripture. And thank you for that verse from psalms, 43:3. A perfect prayer for that weighing process!
Psalm 43:3 is frequently on my mind and heart, Nancy, especially these days when there seems to be so much confusion about so many things. Like you, I’m so grateful for the wisdom our heavenly Father provides–when we ask and even when we don’t!
Lois, yes, you’re right. How often has the Spirit nudged us as we’ve been outside walking or gardening or … gasp … running.
All creation sings His praises. I’ll be remembering your wise thoughts next time I’m out for a walk. It really is when we do our best thinking, writing, discovering!
Amen, Linda. It seems that moving outside, at whatever speed, triggers a whole lot of thinking and creativity. It sure beats trying to come up with new thoughts while staring at a screen!
Praying for wisdom (and more wisdom). Amen. Yes, sometimes waiting surely is best, and especially if it’s speaking to someone. And sometimes God whispers to me to say less and pray more and trust His power and timing. I’ve been thinking more of this lately – “We need to check what we hear and read and sense against the truth of scripture.” And what you say further is so important – “Just because something makes us feel better about what we are experiencing or struggling with doesn’t mean it’s right.” Thank you for this insight here, dear Lois. Psalm 43:3 has often been my desperate plea these last months – “Send your light and your truth, let them lead me.” Love and blessings to you!
Oh Trudy … I feel the same way about Psalm 43:3. These days it’s so hard to know what’s true and what’s not, isn’t it? Thank you for sharing what God whispers to you … it can be so hard to trust His power and timing, but I don’t think the alternative will get us anywhere good. I hope you are staying well, my friend … love and blessings right back to you!
Lots of truth packed into this short post!!!
Thanks, Donna!
I loved this post. I often say that I am a slow processor and take time to think things through. To be even more honest, I have always disliked that about myself. This morning I saw it from a different light. Maybe it has been good to let a conversation, a thought, or an idea simmer for a bit. Probably has kept me from making many a mistake too!
Aw, Joanne … I’m glad this post helped you see your way of processing in a different light. 🙂 I’m a slow processor too … especially when I’m talking to my daughter, I will often think of things later that I write down to share with her the next time we talk.
This happens to me often, Lois, something dawns on me, and I am left with something to investigate, think about, or do something with. I find this often happens when I am doing something mindless, where my mind can wander. Maybe I am taking a shower, doing yoga, making dinner, watering the flowers. The other time this often happens is when talking to someone. Their words spark an idea or pull me down a new path and suddenly, a new thought forms. The missing piece of the puzzle.
Theresa, I guess this just shows the importance of allowing ourselves space and time to do those mindless things. 🙂 What you describe happening when you’re talking to someone will sometimes happen to me when I’m reading really good writing. All of a sudden I’m inspired to write something myself, even if it has nothing to do with what I just read. The mind works in such mysterious ways, doesn’t it?
I’ve experienced things like that, too–a sudden connection or understanding of a verse, a realization of possible solution to a problem I’ve been thinking about, etc. Like you said, I usually think about it a bit more before acting, because I have been wrong. Once while stepping out of the shower I had what I felt was a brilliant answer to something. It just seemed so given by God. But it was totally unfeasible. And I wondered what that was all about. 🙂 I guess it’s a reminder, as you said, to wait and test things before the Lord.
Haha … I hear you, Barbara. God may not want the credit for some of the things we think came from Him!
Lois, I love your looking at your word as a verb-that’s actually the way I viewed it when I read your word the first time. Though we do tend to view our One Words as nouns-isn’t that an interesting topic for discussion?
Anyway, I agree with Anita, anytime we are able to shift the norm through exercise or a creative hobby, our brain is then able to bring to our consciousness what it was already working on, many times. You weren’t thinking about the topic that came up during your run at that moment, but you “had” been at some point. Your brain was just freed up to express it!
Donna, nouns vs. verbs IS an interesting topic for discussion when it comes to our One Words. 🙂 You and Anita have both helped me think about this process more deeply. The brain is such an amazing organ, isn’t it?
I love it when God takes me in a whole new direction and teaches me exciting new things.
Enjoy the adventure!
I love your attitude, Barb! Your enthusiasm is contagious. 🙂
I’m so thankful for His still small voice, Lois. Yes, I find bathing the person, the word and the time of sharing in prayer makes a big difference, “I might write it down, think about it, pray for wisdom. I let it simmer, sometimes for days. When I finally do share, it might lead to an a-ha moment for someone else.”
Lisa, it helps develop patience, doesn’t it? I tend to want to have things resolved and fixed right away, but God usually has a different timeline. Hugs, friend!
Running and walking can act like self-EMDR 😊. The bilateral movement, along with tract that we have a problem on our mind or feel stuck, helps our brains process information and create new synapses. I often come up with creative solutions to problems when I run. Maybe God created us to exercise so we would be better at solving problems and working through our emotions.
Wow, Anita … I hadn’t thought of it that way but it makes total sense. I guess I engage in “self-EMDR” quite regularly then. 🙂 I, for one, am very grateful that God designed us this way!
I hadn’t even considered dawn as a verb! lol. But you’re exactly right, Lois. I often use “dawn” as a verb.
So true: “When something dawns on me that feels weighty and consequential, usually my knower knows.
Often, it’s a bit of common sense that I had missed before. Other times, it very well could be the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.”
Great post. Thanks for linking up at our One Word post this morning!
Thank YOU, Lisa. I am terribly behind on blog reading but hope to make it over to yours soon to catch up on your February posts. The ones I’ve read so far have been so good!