Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here at the Rendezvous blog. Lot’s of great conversations will be started here as each of us POSTS things about our walk with God.
I’ll go first.
As I thought about how God’s showing up in my life, one particular incident kept coming to mind. It’s one of those things that stayed with me, and I’m reminded of it every now and then. Let me explain what took place.
I was meeting a friend for lunch one day. Prior to that day, I had a few episodes with God where I ignored Him. They were tiny things He was asking me to do, but I just didn’t feel like listening, you know?
So I’m pulling up to the restaurant where I was meeting the friend when the song “What Hurts the Most” by Rascal Flatts comes on the radio. I like that group, so I turned up the volume as I found a place to park. Just as I pulled into a space, the chorus began.
Even though Gary LeVox was singing, something happened, and all I heard was the Holy Spirit’s voice coming through the music. Through the words in the chorus, He explained to me how He felt when I ignored Him. I never felt condemnation during the incident. It wasn’t a tongue lashing. He just wanted me to know. Listen to the chorus and hear what the Spirit said to me – it’s about 45 seconds in…
Now, whenever I hear this song, I think about how God has feelings. And I remember that He’s trying to steer me because He loves me. It’s awfully hard to ignore Him anymore.
Tags: Holy Spirit, Love, Music, obedience
by Colleen Foshee
His pain becomes my Ouch! wake-up call. I’ll be meditating on this one awhile.
Thanks for grabbing my attention!
I love when God communicates through a song and the exact feelings you had! He knows where we are and how to reach us. So many times we don’t understand what He is doing but He pulls us closer in our pain.
I clearly heard a song in my head one morning at 6 am-Hazy Shade of Winter from years ago. The words were:
Time, time, time
See what’s become of me
While I looked around for all my possibilities
I was so hard to please,
Look around, leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.
Hear the Salvation Army Band
Down by the riverside, it’s bound to be a better ride
Than what I’ve got planned, carry a cup in your hand…
It seems I was being confronted about the time passing, (a little later the lyrics even speak of unpublished rhyme-which I had plenty of), I needed to get to my purpose, commit to the Salvation army and He would prosper me, build up my hopes again and get back on track.
Here is a stanza of a Cat Stevens song to end:
Take your time, think a lot, think of everything you’ve got
For it may still be here tomorrow
But your dreams may not…
Makes me think that despite the fact that He is perfect and I am not, we are really not all that different. Being ignored is one of the things that gets me the most. I fear it. I feel anger when I’m ignored. The feeling I get deep down inside when I feel that I’m being ignored is pretty intense. God gets ignored continually. If He feels that…wow, to know that He could get HIs feelings hurt is more than a wake-up call.
I love that He didn’t bring the hammer down on you–that there was and is no condemnation. That just makes me want to love him more.
I always think it is so sweet how God gives us those gentle reminders and he knows how to get our attention. He knows it has to be about us for us to look at Him. Which this grieves me, but that is how merciful and sweet our God is. Thanks for the reminder C, everytime I hear this song now I will think about my responses to the Lord. BTW, love the site!
Here on earth… I feel one of my best qualities is the ability to put myself in others shoes. Your post about God’s feelings has just opened my eyes to the fact that I never think to put myself in God’s shoes with respect to understanding how he might feel about things at times.
I’ve also had a few occasions when songs on the radio coincidently played at a time when the lyrics seemed to be speaking solely to me, as if God had purposely arranged to speak to me via the radio. Elton John’s song, ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ is one of those songs for me as I had previously felt God’s presence in my life. In fact, I loved that feeling so much that I craved it and wanted to feel his presence constantly, but didn’t. The song, ‘ Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ reminded me at times that I wasn’t feeling him and I desperately wanted to once again feel that security of his presence around me again. One day the song started to play when I really needed God… and simultaneously the sun in the sky appeared to be getting bigger and brighter, as if God was telling me, “I’m here by your side and won’t ever leave you”.
In the song, Elton sings to someone he has helped and from whom he is now experiencing rejection. From this point on, I’m now going to listen to that song with an added twist that God also wants to feel my presence in his life as well as my love for him. It’s not all about me… it’s really about my relationship with him.
Thanks Colleen for prompting me to also think about putting myself in God’s shoes and realize that God has feelings too!
Marcia – wake up call big time! It was profound.
Holly, interesting how we “get” the message the Spirit is trying to send through music. he get’s our attention and the – whammo – in a good way!:)
Elaine, no condemnation played a big part in getting me to listen. God is so smart. He knows how we react to being slammed – the big push back. Instead the Spirit gently guides us into the truth. You gotta love that!
Betty, this incident makes God more real- more relational for me – and it does make me think about His feelings more now. Understanding we can hurt God is mind blowing. I don’t want to do it.
Tanya I agree – God is amazingly gentle and kind when we don’t deserve it. So glad.
First off, I wanted to say how proud I am to have you for a sissy … the site is wonderful and I can’t wait to see what the Lord does through your efforts.
As Coll, # 2, mentioned, there were many of us growing up under the same roof and as she also mentioned, each of us has had our own unique relationship with God. I, # 7, am confident that the road I took was definately longer than most and unfortunately?, the one filled with the most pot holes …
Music has always been a coping mechanism in my life and I now can’t help but feel that God is and has always been behind each note. A “Music Minister” of sorts, always looking and usually finding a way for me hear … It wasn’t long after I finally gave my whole heart to the Lord that I heard this song by Fergie for the first time. Needless to say, it rocked my world …
Ever since I was a little girl I had a dream
Cinderella theme
Crazy as it seems
Always knew that deep inside
That there would come that day
But I would have to wait
Make so many mistakes
I couldn’t comprehend
As I watched it unfold
This classic story told
I left it in the cold
Walking through unopen doors
That led me back to you
Each one unlocking more of the truth
I finally stopped tripping on my youth
I finally got lost inside of you
I finally know
I needed to grow
And finally my mate has met my soul
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something strange and new is happening
Finally
Now my life doesn’t seem so bad
It’s the best that I’ve ever had
Give my love to him finally
I remember the beginning
You already knew
I acted like a fool
Just trying to be cool
Fronting like it didn’t matter
I just ran away
Put on another face
Was lost in my own space
Found what it’s like
To hurt selfishly
I was scared to give up me
Afraid to just believe
I was in a jealous, insecure, pathetic place
Stumbling through the mess that I had made
I finally got out of my own way
I finally started living for today
I finally know
I needed to grow
And finally my mate has met my soul
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something strange and new is happening
Finally
Now my life doesn’t seem so bad
It’s the best that I’ve ever had
Give my love to him finally
Finally
Now my destiny can begin
Though we will have our differences
Something beautiful is happening, happening
Finally
Now my life doesn’t seem so bad
It’s the best that I ever had
Give my love to him finally
Finally, finally … finally
God used Fergie to reach you? He’s got some crazy love for us doesn’t He? In my experience, He does some outlandish stuff to get our attention. I’m so glad He does.
Hi Coll, Congrats on the website. I liked what Betty had to say. I too try to walk in other’s shoes, to be understandking and empathetic, but I have never given that same consideration to our loving God. Aslo I realize that I have also not given God credit for the good works that he has accomplished through me. It’s his will not mine, sometimes we forget that.
Thanks for including me, a good wake up call for me too.
Good Luck and keep up the good work.
Pat
Pat I’m so happy you’re here! Your input emphasized what DBM is all about – the comments of others stirring us up to a stronger walk with God! It’s happening to me too! Hope to find you here often.
Coll, dear friend, I am so happy for you to see your vision now a reality. Originally, I didn\’t quite comprehend how DBM would work, but first time out it has touched me where I needed to be touched most. I\’m particularly moved by Pat\’s comment about giving God credit for the works He has accomplished through her. Someone had imparted a similar wisdom to me about 9 years ago, but lately I had forgotten it & have all but given up on a special task He entrusted to me 16 years ago. Up until 10 months ago, He had accomplished an incredible task through me. But I lost my faith in myself and Him to see the task to completion, deciding it just couldn\’t be done and giving up. I stopped giving Him the opportunity to accomplish anything further, almost to the point of undoing that which had already been done. But Pat\’s words have reminded me that this task is not mine alone, and that I need to re-open my heart to Him so that He may complete this task through me in order to accomplish what He started. Thanks, Pat for sharing and special thanks to Colleen for giving you the opportunity to do so.
Patricia…this is from Phillipians 1:6: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”
notice how the wording indicates that HE is the one doing the work!
Patricia – you made my day. This is what DBM is all about. Thanking God for you and His power to touch our hearts!
“Originally, I didn’t quite comprehend how DBM would work, but first time out it has touched me where I needed to be touched most”.
God talking toyou through that song was so profound, and as I listened with the ears of God it had such a profound effect on me seeing God\’s love with new insight. thanks!