Though I don’t always recognize or acknowledge God’s presence in my life, if I would try to be more aware and tuned in, I might see God. God might just give me a glimpse of himself,  and I will look and see him. It may sound crazy to say that I see God, or have seen God, but all of us have. We have the potential to see him at his pleasure and initiative, not of our own efforts or by our will. We need him to reveal himself and we need to be there to see. Scripture says that “no one has ever seen God”, so how is it that I or you can say that we have?

       We can say that we have seen him because God has reached out to us and made himself known. We see God revealed in nature and many of us connect with him or see him in the ocean, the trees, a sunset or in the face of a child. These are but just a few ways that we notice our creator God. Places or faces that somehow resonate within us and show us God and let us see him and learn something about him and ourselves in relationship to him. We see him in his Word and there too, we learn something of him and of ourselves. We see a very personal God. We learn how important it is that we are to him and from the very beginning how he showed himself to us. We get more than a burning bush, we get to see the invisible God in the person of Jesus. God in flesh, who physically lived, laughed, and cried with us. Sharing in our humanity and ultimately dying for us.

        God has, and is continually showing himself  to us but we don’t always see. Sometimes it is in such overwhelming ways that we can’t believe what we are seeing. Many times we are too busy to notice. Preoccupied with ourselves and the cares of the world, we have no time to be there to see him.  Sometimes when we do catch sight of him at a particular place or in a particular way, we seem only to look for him there. Often times missing those other glimpses given to us because we don’t expect him to show up there. Perhaps, we just need to intentionally pray that God would show up for us in and when he desires. And that when that occurs in our everyday lives, as it does, we would be able to say, I see you God.

        All of us see God in many diverse ways. How is it that you are able to say, I see you God?

When thinking about your options, or when going through your own personal decision making process, do you use your gut? We all have a process that we use whether we know it or not, that we go through when trying to make decisions. We may list the pros and cons, we may research, we may follow a trusted adviser, we may pray, but though we don’t all acknowledge it, we at some level use our gut or intuition. I myself do all those things and more depending upon the weight of the choice that I am making. But more and more I am trying to listen to my gut.  I am trying to pay attention to my intuition even in the small choices that you and I make daily.

Obviously, some of us are more adept at reading those seemingly nebulous, can’t put your finger on it sensations. Many of us even ignore them, thinking that our logic or intellect is the only way to go. But there are some who rely heavily on those sensations and believe that they are there for us to pay attention and listen to as a means of God given guidance. I too believe that those intuitions or senses are something that God hard wired into all of us. We all can look back at how many times it is those sensations that have kept us out of harms way or drawn us to certain people or situations that have been for our benefit.

So what does it take for us to begin to hear those intuitive voices? What are  some ways to cultivate those gifts of God in our lives? First of all, how about reflecting on those very times when your intuition or the intuition of others moved you on the right path. Or those times when you ignored your gut and found your self in places or situations that could have been avoided. Secondly, slow down, take time to listen. Give yourself the space needed to follow. Ask God to show you and to help you integrate those sensations into your daily process.

Following your gut is not at the expense of all the other steps that we take as we make choices. We need to consider what the Word of God says, we need to research and list the pros and cons, we need the time and space to consider and mull over things as we decide what to do or where to go. Our gut feelings take into consideration all of those things and more.  It is perhaps a synthesis of all of these things, our intuition.  Maybe it is just a way given to us to take it all in and in those times of great need or when our time to decide is quick our gut intuition speeds the process up and we instinctively choose. Whatever it is fully, or how it truly all works I don’t know, but It is certainly God given and for our benefit.

How do you decide? How intuitive are you? How has God used those gifts in your life as you try to navigate your way in this world?

What I mean by God Positioning System is our view of God and our view of ourselves and the rest of creation. Depending upon how we see God, ourselves and others,effects out ability to navigate in the world. God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, our sisters and brothers in Christ, combined with our personal experience, can and do show us the way. It is not that our GPS is not working, it is that we un plug it. We don”t listen to that voice giving us direction and we all too easily forget where those bumps and dead ends in life are.

I know that there are times in my life when my GPS is working, but I choose not to follow. I know too, that there have been times that I followed the GPS and it has taken me to places that I would rather not go, or on a path that I would not have taken and that is where faith comes in. Those are the times that I need to lean on God’s grace, mercy and love and trust him.

The GPS works, we just need to follow the directions by faith. We need to follow even if the road is bumpy, even if there are storms and what appear to be dead ends. Are you following the GPS?

     I don’t know about you, but with the convergence of the new year and the economy I’m at a place of needing to make some decisions.  These choices can be right or wrong.  They can be what I want or what God wants, or they may be somewhere in between.  At some level I need to know which way is up.

     When life seems to be swirling around it can be tough to discern which way is the “right” way to go.  As I work through this process of discernment, there is much  for me to consider.  I need to take in my story.  What I mean by that is, my experiences, my inclinations as a person, my passions, the gifts and skills given to me, and the lens by which I make new choices based upon these things.  In addition, I need to take all that is my authentic self and my wants and see where they fit with God’s desire for me.

     As I journey with Christ, I know that I have not “arrived” yet.  I still have my baggage and limitations that I carry with me.  I am still sucked into the culture of my western world view, with its emphasis on riches, honor and pride. This world view or what we think as “upward mobility” is not the way that God would have us go.  In fact, it is totally the opposite.  It is poverty, it is rejection and dishonor, it is humility.  The scripture tells us to be transformed to the likeness of Christ and His example to us is “downward mobility’. So when I am looking at making a choice I need to recognize in myself this perceived need of upward mobility and ask God for the wisdom to follow what He wants for me.  I need to become more and more aware of these things, just as we all do.

     For me to gain this awareness of myself and of God, requires that I spend time in solitude and silence.  I need to lay out the situation before God and take the time to listen to Him and to evaluate these things.  But when in crisis or when there much external pressure, often times this is the hardest thing to do.  It is by God’s grace many times that I am able to get this time and space, which allows me to reflect and decide.

     These are but a couple pieces of my discernment process, but extremely important.  Each one of us has a process of some sort, what does yours look like?  How is that you determine “which way is up?”