Two Thoughts on
Spiritual Guidance

First - Light For Our Journey

"Older men served as night sentries for our missionary homes. They swept our yards, heated our bath water, guarded our houses, and were most useful in carrying notes at night between homes . . .
One night I heard a familiar cough. When I went to the door, I could just make out the figure of Papa Jean, {one of the most dedicated sentries}, holding out a note. It was a dark, tropical night. No moon or stars were shinning. There were no street lights on this isolated mission station. A small, six inch kerosene lantern with a smoky chimney in Papa Jean's hand gave the only smattering of light.
Such a pitiful little light in such a dark night I thought.
"That lamp doesn't give much light, does it, Papa?" I said to him.
"No, it doesn't," he answered. "But it shines as far as I can step."
How often I remember {Papa Jean}. I can learn to trust God for my future, for I have learned that His light does always shine as far as I can step."
Virginia Law Shell in Good News magazine,
July/August 1990, p.36,
quoting from her book As Far As I Can Step
Second - Who is Leading?
When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end  of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person relaxes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body,
moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word guidance.

When I saw  "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i."

God, "u" and "I" dance.

God, you and I dance.

This statement is what guidance means to me.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once  again, I became willing to let God lead.

--Author Unknown

 

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