Let Your Light Shine Day 7
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
on your own intelligence do not rely. In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
I hear myself, and so many other people, asking questions like: “Why did this happen?” or more dramatically, “How could this be happening to our world?!” The global shut-down, and mass casualty scenario from the COVID-19 virus seems like a scene from the movies, not real life. Using our rational minds and past experiences of the world around us does not provide answers to the many “why’s” in this unprecedented crisis.
At this time, we can turn to the wisdom of ancient scriptures to at least grapple with some personal, spiritual questions like, “How can I grow from this? What can I learn in this situation about myself, my career, my family, etc? How is God revealing Himself to me in this global shut-down?”
The Proverb today is one of my favorites. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely.” I have often thought that this was written just for me, because I rely so heavily on my rational mind in every area of life. I have actually been known to drive myself crazy just thinking about thinking! But the Proverb directs us to NOT think, and to use our hearts instead. By quieting the mind, and tuning into our heartbeats, we can start to hear the quiet voice of the LORD. With a greater heart-connection to the Divine, we will find the ability to trust more.
“In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make your paths straight.” Mindfulness is one of the big buzzwords today, even in secular society. According to the American Psychological Association (APA.org, 2012), mindfulness is: “…a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment. In this sense, mindfulness is a state and not a trait.” This definition comes from psychologist Catherine Moore’s very informative article, “What is Mindfulness?” If we apply the definition to the scripture above, when we are mindful of God, we can start to experience our relationship with him in a moment-to-moment basis. We can develop an awareness of God’s presence (being) in and around us. When we stop relying on our own rational mind long enough to experience God’s presence, then we allow the opportunity for God to make our paths straight. I believe this proverb is almost beaconing us to hear God saying, “Shh… let me show you the way.”
I have the privilege of living in a quaint New Jersey suburb, where the New York City skyline is actually visible from our small harbor. Normally, the town is very busy with people commuting, walking their children to school, going on fishing tours, and going to stores and restaurants. But today, as I walked my dog, everything was silent. The few other people I saw were also out walking their dogs. In this silence, I heard my inner voice, my heart, say, “ I am so grateful to have this time to slow down; to just take the dog for a walk.” It took a global shutdown for me to find this simple joy in just being present in my home and my town. I am starting to feel gratitude for so many more things in my life, now that I have time to stop relying on my intelligence to power through life. I am hearing my heart. I hope that as I grow more mindful of God in my life, my paths will grow straight.
I hope that you will join me today in sitting in five minutes of silence, thanking God for the little things. Today, I welcome you to pray with me,
“Holy Spirit, thank you that You are always present in and around me. Thank you for being the still small voice that speaks through my heart, not my head. Today I am willing to be more mindful of you, Lord God. Today, I invite you to make my paths straight. Amen.”
