How do you know when your Higher Power is providing guidance and direction? That’s a really tough question and something I’ve often struggled with, especially as of late when it comes to my health and healing.
Lately in fact, it really feels like God has been on radio silence with me in that specific area and I have begun to question whether the advice I get from friends is actually also coming from God or is it simply that, advice?
Is the suggestion I’ve had a few times now about taking some new pill to help with my pain levels that’s basically cannabis without the THC component (the part that gets a person high), just friends trying to help or it is God using my friends to provide me guidance and direction? Is the suggestion I’ve had from a number of others about taking medical marijuana coming from God talking to me through them or again, just advice? How about all those who suggest I go back to doctors and try all the new medicines that have emerged in the past few years since the last round of medicine I took that got me so very sick. Is that God talking to me through them, or again just people offering their friendly advice?
I could go on and on with the many suggestions I’ve received in recent years and frankly, it hurts my head to think about whether any of them are from God or simply from friends who care about me and don’t want to see me hurting so bad. Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear answer to any of it, because none of those suggestions have ever resonated on any level that I’d say was felt in my heart and soul. Instead, each have basically rolled around in my brain creating only more confusion and frustration.
I know there’s one school of thought that says that we need to take blind action and God will show up if that action is meant to be on our path. But there’s also that another school of thought that says one will know without doubt when it’s time to take action for God and if there’s still doubt present, then the only action is to be still and wait until the doubt isn’t there.
I tend to be more on that latter school of thought because every single time I’ve taken action when I’ve been in doubt, the results were terrible and only created me greater pain and frustration. On the other hand, I’ve had great success in waiting upon God, although it has required a much higher level of patience. Take my trip to see my family in Nashville recently. It wouldn’t have been something I did without having received a message that came pretty clear to me during prayer and meditation one day. It had been almost three years since my last visit to them, which was by all means was an emotional and physical nightmare back then. But in this case, I followed the conviction I felt was coming from God and the trip ended up being a huge success and a peaceful and joyful one at that.
Thus, in light of that, if I was going answer the question I first posed, that being how do I know if God is providing me guidance and direction, so far it really comes down to a feeling, a knowing, and a surety where no doubt is present. And as of right now, I haven’t felt any of that when it comes to my health and healing, except for the things I’m already doing to become healthier in life.
And while it may seem like I’m not getting better on far too many of days, the last thing I want is to jump into one of those pieces of advice and find myself in a situation like this person I learned of recently who got tired of waiting for answers from God and ended up having a thousand more problems going on with their health because of it. And given my incredible sensitivity to things I take internally, I can only imagine how bad it could get if I decided to wing it as well and not wait upon God for a clear answer.
So, for now, I am choosing to keep waiting on God for clear guidance and direction. Because ultimately, I believe that when God is providing those things, it’s something I will know and trust without doubt, without confusion, and without questioning. But if I still have any of that going on, I find it’s usually just my ego that tries to take control, by convincing me that any one of those friend’s pieces of advice is far better than waiting upon God. And isn’t it through all the waiting that cultivates a much deeper level of faith and trust in a Higher Power? That’s something I’m going to continue to ponder as I wait for God to answer…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
