“Trust and Surrender.” I heard these words, spoken in my head, at 4 AM on a Thursday morning in the spring of 2005. It was an intense time in my life and that night had been especially difficult. “Listen, love, hug, pray.” For months, I had been asking God for help with parenting and then these words came into my journal. Where did these words come from? How did I know that I could trust them? I hadn’t heard a voice. I hadn’t had a conversation with God. And yet, these words resonated with clarity and certainty. They were not my thoughts and yet they appeared like my thoughts – all in my head.
I didn’t hear a voice in these two encounters, but the ideas appeared. Although they appeared to be my thoughts, there was something very different about these thoughts than my own thoughts. Both thoughts were followed by a feeling of calmness and certainty. Both thoughts were persistent – like they couldn’t be challenged – unmovable and unfailing. Usually when other thoughts come into my head, they are followed by a great internal debate – an ongoing stream of conscious debate about alternatives and options. These two thoughts were more like declarations – no debate. Both made complete sense to me for my situation. Both were answers to questions that I had been struggling with and asking for help. They were both “ah-ha” moments – I knew they were right and I knew that I needed to shape my life and behaviors around these thoughts.
In Romans 8:28, Paul tells us “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Jesus comforted the disciples when he told them the Holy Spirit would arrive after he went to be with his father. God had promised the Holy Spirit to everyone after the day of the lord, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28). I believe the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom beyond our own understanding. Take comfort, for the Holy Spirit is with you. – Bill Ernstrom, Director of Operations
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