There are seasons in life when God speaks loudly and in obvious ways. There are other seasons when he whispers or seems silent. We all go through these times, and they can be incredibly frustrating when we’ve heard him speak so clearly in the past.
Most of the time, in those quiet moments, God is speaking, just not in the way we’re used to or in a different way than we expect him to. Sometimes it just takes a little effort or engaging God in dialogue to understand the new way he is speaking and what he’s saying.
Oftentimes, when I don’t have direction and I don’t seem to be hearing anything from the Lord, he reminds me to look at what’s happening in the natural. My former pastor used to say, “What’s true in the physical is true in the spiritual,” and I have found this to be the case time and time again. Especially when life’s circumstances seem exceptionally odd – too unusual or exaggerated to just be a coincidence – I have found that God is demonstrating a deeper spiritual reality that reflects what’s happening physically.
Where I live, seemingly every road is under construction right now. In Minnesota, the running joke is that there are two seasons: winter and road construction. Since the cold weather doesn’t allow for roads to be repaired year-round, construction crews have to get everything done in the summer. They have a window of three or four months – five if they’re lucky – to start and finish each project.
At the moment, I can’t drive anywhere without encountering road construction. I have never seen so much roadwork in my 37 years on earth. There are detours, slowdowns, closed roads, orange barrels and hard hats everywhere. I ventured through the car wash twice, but it was futile. Construction dust is in the air after the old roads have been torn up to make way for the new, and there’s no getting around it. It’s a mess, but it’s for a purpose.
I know two months from now, the new, wider, freshly paved roads will be in place. The orange cones will be taken down, the speed limits will increase again, and the path will be smooth. My commute will be quicker and my car will be cleaner. I can’t wait!
At the moment, though, it’s a pain. I have to drive much more slowly than I’d like, and sometimes I have to try two or three routes to find one that’s open – meaning I end up late to wherever I’m going if I don’t allow enough extra time.
After several months of this already, it’s getting old. But it’s for a purpose. The results will be worth it. The momentary pain will lead to something greater.
I think that’s the season many of us find ourselves in spiritually, as well. Things look like a mess, and there’s not a whole lot we can do about it, other than adapt and rest in the assurance that something better is coming. The mess is out of our control for the time being. But it’s temporary, and it’s worth it in the end.
While all this roadwork has been going on, I have simultaneously been deep-cleaning everything I own. I’ve emptied and organized shelves, drawers, and cupboards, taking inventory, tossing and donating things I don’t need. I’ve discovered I have more stuff than I thought, and right now, as I attempt to sort through it all, it’s a mess. But it, too, is for a purpose. I’m making more space for the new as I get rid of the old. I’m tackling projects that have been on my list to do for a long time, and it’s a pain, but it’s for a purpose.
What is going on in your world right now? Maybe it’s not road construction or deep cleaning, but take a look at your surroundings and observe what is happening in the natural that seems out-of-the-ordinary. Maybe, just maybe, God is speaking, and it seems so literal, you haven’t even noticed it’s spiritual, too.
Hey! I'm Brianna and I'm a millennial. I'm also a reader, writer, God-lover, introvert, and recovering perfectionist. ☺️ I want to inspire millennials to retain their morality, hope, and faith as they transition into adulthood and full-fledged "adult."
