Jen’s Gem: When you hear from God, listen the first time.

Three is my favorite number. Many people may think that the number seven has more appeal given its penchant for being a good luck charm, but I’m stickin’ with my 3. My daughter prefers the number 4 and I suspect that my son leans towards 24, the jersey number of his favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant.   

I’m not sure when I started playing favorites but I will tell you that there have been a number of occasions where 3 played a leading role in my life. About ten years ago, as I was en route to take my daughter to Girl Scouts, I was clearly told to go home. Not once. Not twice. But three times.  I didn’t listen and the result was a totaled car, a scared little girl and a pretty beaten up single mom.
 
On a lighter note, after my car had been detailed and I parked it in the driveway to dry out the upholstery, I was told three times to shut the windows. I didn’t listen and was welcomed by bird droppings on my seat later that day.
 
More recently, I received my triple decker message while driving to Long Island. I was in the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane minding my own business trying to find a radio station that would allow me to release my inner pop star. Finding nothing, in frustration I smacked the on/off button and resigned myself to a quiet ride.

Prior to this trip I had been pursuing getting my manuscript published. I’d researched multiple options, spoken to a myriad of people but nothing was happening. No doors were opening. In fact, one major door closed in my face and it took me two weeks to recover. I’d no idea what to do. Then, in the fast lane on the Long Island Expressway, I was told what to do.

 “I told you to write the book, not publish it.”

Uh, what? I slowed my speed dramatically (much to the dismay of the driver behind me), perked up my ears and listened again. In true form, it was repeated, twice.
 

“I told you to write the book, not publish it.”

 
Well, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. My response was “Well, then why did I write it?” I waited for an answer. Crickets.
 
When I woke the next morning, my tri-fecta pattern of messaging was broken. Almost as soon as my eyes opened, I heard it again along with “I just wanted to be sure you heard me.”
 
God clearly has a sense of humor. 

Hearing from God

You see, I believe and have believed for a very long time that these messages I’ve gotten over the years are God speaking to me, guiding me away from situations that would harm me or at minimum not be in my best interest. As you can see, I didn’t always listen and the results were less than pleasant at best and physically harmful at worst.
 
Why didn’t I listen you may ask? The messages were clear. They were repeated in case I missed them. I didn’t listen because I thought I knew better. I thought I knew the best route home, the best actions and the best decisions. In nearly every case, I was wrong and paid a handsome price.
 
So when I heard the message about my manuscript, I decided I’d better listen. I don’t understand the direction I received but I’ve learned enough not to doubt its source. Perhaps it’ll become clear to me one day and I can look back and see why. For now however, my manuscript will remain safely stored on my laptop hard drive.

 
In the chaotic world we live in, it can be hard to hear God’s voice. There’s no time to rest and tune in to the spiritual realm. So much mind clutter and noise prevents us from hearing that still, quiet voice. But you know what they say? “It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”
 
I used to ask God to paint his messages on highway billboard signs so I couldn’t miss them. I knew He had my back and I didn’t want to miss His messages guiding my steps. He never did. Instead, He spoke to me in a whisper and interestingly the three times I noted above were all in my car, when I was alone and silent.
 

Listening to God

Today I hear His voice in the quiet of my bedroom. I don’t have to strain or struggle. I just have to sit and listen. I don’t “empty my mind” as so many say to do. I fill it with one question.
 
“How can I best serve You today?”
 
Then I listen. On days when I hear clear direction, I follow it. On days when I hear another message, I write it down because it’ll mean something later. God’s timing is always perfect.
 
I had planned to have a published book in my hands (and yours!) this summer but God has something else in mind. I’m not sure what it is yet, but I know it’ll be great.
 
God’s got a message for you too and He’s waiting to share it with you. Hopefully you won’t need to hear it three times but as you can see, there’s power in three.