Listening to God

We just recently got back from a week’s conference on the theme “Listening to God” which was a refreshing break. Our speaker, an incredibly humble man, talked to us about the different ways God can speak to us and how we can listen to God, as individuals, but also as communities. We particularly appreciated the time to put into practice what we learnt about listening, meditation and contemplative prayer. There would be so much to tell, but I would just like to share one of the ways God spoke to me during that week. One morning, as I sang the following words: « The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love », my heart sank as I became aware once again of the huge gap between who God is and who I am. Maybe you can identify with such feelings of inadequacy. I could think of many occasions on which I had been the exact opposite: quick to anger and lacking in love, especially with my children, even though I so long to be like God. But this time, instead of spiraling down into despair, I heard God’s loving and compassionate voice: “Yes, I am slow to anger and abounding in love – but Carolyn, I am God… You are Carolyn, and you are human….” And in the silence that followed the teaching that day, He gently confirmed to my heart that He didn’t expect me to be perfect. Knowing that I often need to hear things more than once for the words to really sink in, He also used the voice of our speaker who closed our meeting with similar words: “The Lord doesn’t expect you to be perfect – just to take the next step forward with Him”. The Lord is gracious and compassionate and loves each one of us just as we are. Secure in His love, what is the next step that God wants us to take with Him?