Lately I've had an unsettled feeling about a decision my friend is making in her life... a rather large one, life changing...
Ok, unsettled isn't the word... more like completely against it and will stop it if I can.
Anyway...
The feeling I have isn't a new one to me though. I've had it before, and (without trying to give this feeling a personality of its own) it's always been right. I've been really wondering if maybe this is a spiritual gift God has given me?? Being aware of it and regarding it in the past had served to protect me from harm in certain situations and to allow me to place a "guard" up, emotionally I suppose, before even realizing the actual form of 'danger' that was there.
Maybe this will make more sense if I give you a couple examples....
There was a man at our church once who showed up at my house to return something to my parents he'd borrowed. I didn't know who it was, but when I saw a car pull into my drive way, I immediately had a 'sense' of being unnerved, aware of danger present, of something being "off". Later, I discovered that unbeknowst to nearly all of the congregation (maybe the minister and a select few excluded), this man was being charged with beating his wife, actually had a restraining order placed on him, and would later be going to court. I had no idea of this at the time, but still, something within me said "be careful". So I listened.
Scenario 2 ... one evening, while chatting with some friends after their hockey game, a guy came up to us and joined in the conversation (he knew some of the other people there, but not me). He started talking to all of us, myself included, and I got the same "feeling".... "danger; be aware".... I was courteous but not overly friendly or engaging, and he soon left. Immediately after he was gone, a friend asked if I knew who it was. When I told him no, he informed me that the guy was in fact someone I'd heard of before.... someone who had been accused, and charged, with sexual assault on more than one girl.
I realize that in either of these situations I was not personally in immediate danger, but I'm still thankful for what I believe to have been God's spiritual warnings, making me aware of the dangers around me. Suppose I hadn't listened?? Maybe I become too overly friendly in a situation with the assault guy... who's to say what could have happened? Or with the other man.. he attended our church, and on first glance would have seemed to be a nice, Christian guy. Apparently, the bruises on his wife tell a different story.
Now, I'm facing this same feeling in regards to the decision my friend is making. Unfortunately, she's living in "happy land" right now and not hearing anything I'm saying in regards to the fact that I "have serious reservations about the decision, and cannot support it". It's painful! Because I care about her alot, and don't know how to tell her how much I am against this.
It's also difficult because she's (claiming) that she's prayed about it, and feels peace about it. But, I know her very well. She's great, but very naive and easily persuaded, kind of like a teeter-totter... Up? ok!! Down? ok!!!
And I don't feel a peace about it, and no one else close to her, most importantly including her family, feel peace about it! They're all strongly against it (as they have personally told me)... But again, she's not even listening to them!
God, this is in Your hands! I feel like there's something else at work here, something evil. Am I blessed with the gift of discernment?? Should I listen to this "feeling" that I think is from you? If so, how can I convince my friend of all of this when she thinks she's hearing from You as well? How do we know who's really hearing and following Your will?
Hold onto us all, Lord! I have a feeling we're just beginning one heck of a wild ride.....
Yes, it's the Gift of Discernment...I have it too. The hard part of it is, if your friend isn't willing to listen, you're just going to have to let it go. Kind of like parenting...we guard our kids as much as we can, but there comes a time, when no matter how much it kills us, we have to let them suffer the consequences of their actions. Your friend might just need this whack up-side the head, in order to grow as both a person, and a Christian. I know I had to learn through the school of hard knocks. Not b/c I was naive, but b/c I have a head like a rock!
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura. I'm stubborn too, and I just want to smack her sometimes! But it's in God's hands.
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