“THE NUDGINGS OF GOD AND HEARING THE HOLY SPIRIT”
“Today, I am ready for positive change. I will be responsive to inner nudges that move me in that direction.”
The above is from a daily reading I receive. I customized it for my daily twelve-step affirmation: Today, with God’s help, I am ready for positive change. I will be responsive to inner nudges that move me in that direction.
I also receive a daily “Three-Minute Retreat” from the Jesuits. It is also very helpful to my recovery and my life. Interestingly, today’s retreat talked about hearing the Holy Spirit, and was based on John 16:13. The crafter of this retreat asked a thought-provoking question: “What gets in the way of my hearing the Spirit?”
I immediately thought of external noise.
But then, nudged by God no doubt, I thought of the really noisy noise in my own mind. That is the real distraction!
So, how do I turn down the volume in my own noisy mind?
Perhaps stilling my body helps still my mind as well. Of course, the converse is also true.
Then too, breathing deeply tends to help the mental noise to subside.
Listening to some soothing instrumental music (I love harps and flutes!) is good for me as well.
Noticing lovely things quiets my mind and spirit as well. Today, before I went for my walk, I noticed our beautiful rose-of-Sharon trees, and the bees which were working on them.
Prayer can help. Obviously, the Serenity Prayer is good. There is a reason why it is called the Serenity Prayer. It is not only a prayer for serenity. It also helps to bring about the serenity for which I pray.
There is also a wonderfully simple (yet profound) prayer that I learned years ago, while I was doing a “Fifty-Day Spiritual Adventure.” It is simply this: “Calm my spirit, Lord.”
But before any of this can help, I need to do one simple thing: I need to notice the noise.
A noisy mind is like a small child who keeps tugging on his mom’s arm until she pays attention to him. After he has been heard, he is (sometimes) ready to settle down.
Perhaps this blog is one way of paying attention to my own noisy mind. It might even help you, my dear and highly valued reader!
When I (and you) desire positive change, we will pay attention to our mental noise. Maybe then we will be more sensitive to the nudging of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
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