Memorandum

Happy belated Memorial Day. As a bonafide American (I admit it), I do honor...everyone. In commemoration, I ate a star-pop. And took a ramble in the forest. It was pleasant, if underwhelming.

So, on the topic of well, choices and choosing and whatnot, my friend Melissa provided this amazing quote. I've been chatting with plenty of people on said topic, and have found there to be extreme variants in opinion. Does God speak directly to us concerning particular issues? Does He simply entrust us with making decisions? I have spoken to both camps. I am straining to hear and learning to trust.




"If God's goal is to grow us as adults, then on occasion, guidance may not come. In effect God is saying, "I trust you; decide for yourself." E Stanley Jones explains, " Obviously God must guide us in a way that will develop spontaneity in us. The development of character, rather than direction in this, that, and the other matter, must be the primary purpose of the Father. He will guide us, but He won't override us. That fact should make us use with caution the method of sitting down with a pencil and blank sheet of paper to write down the instructions dictated by God for the day. Suppose a parent would dictate to the child minutely everything he is to do during the day. The child would be stunted under that regime. The parent must guide in such a manner, and to the degree, that autonomous character, capable of making right decisions for itself, is produced. God does the same....On occasions when no particular divine message is discerned, after listening to the other sources of guidance (Scripture, counsel of others), we step out in faith and act with wisdom."


I think the steppin out part is key.




This one was interesting as well...

"Religious silence is silence that is undertaken as an act of worship. Whether I hear God or not makes no difference."
- Thomas Merton