A God Moment in a Sunrise by Brenda Leyland

"God speaks in ways

that are personal to us." 

JENNIFER LECLAIRE

Some of the sweetest, most thrilling, poignant moments of my life have been when God has spoken directly to me—through a verse or song, a persistent inner nudge, a definite word for something I needed in a situation. My life narrative for the most part has not been one of high drama, so I have rarely received high drama messages from Him—although my friend and I years ago received a simultaneous inner warning late one night at a city bus stop that we were in eminent danger and needed to 'get out of here now', which we heeded without question.

The event that came to mind to share here does not involve anything as dramatic as a warning or life changing direction. Nonetheless it was unforgettable for me. It was early one morning in August many years ago. I had been asleep but felt myself struggling to wake up. I could hear someone calling my name. Fully awake I realized the voice had been in my dream; everyone else in the house was still asleep. The voice didn't seem urgent, but it had been clear and persistent. Had I been awakened for a particular reason? I was ready....

I slipped out of bed and glanced through the window. Oh my, the whole westerly sky was alive with bright pink clouds against purple grey ones. Grabbing my camera, I rushed outside where it was even more spectacular.

No matter which way I turned, the heavens were ablaze with colour. Dazzled, I stood agape as mottled clouds transformed into a sky-size canvas awash in shades of salmon and coral, hints of grape at the horizon.

It started to sprinkle and on top of that vast canvas a rainbow began to emerge. I kept thinking how cool is this and found myself laughing. Lord, this is you, isn't it? You woke me up so we could share this splendid sunrise together.

I twirled round and round to catch it all; I didn't want to miss a thing. It was breathtaking. And then towards the south, in front of my eyes, not just one but two full rainbows were arcing the sky. 

It all lasted about 20 minutes, and then grey clouds blanketed the sky. Only a hint of apricot remained where the sun peeked through. Anyone looking from their window at that stage might have said, oh there's the sun, how nice, but we knew they'd missed the real show. Most poignant for me came the thought, what if I had not heard or heeded the voice calling my name? I, too, could have snoozed right past one of the most enthralling sunrises of my life.

There was no extenuating circumstance where I needed Him to show himself to me in such an unforgettable way. I guess I always thought dreams from God were for important business like warnings or definite instructions....not for getting up to watch a sunrise. Except, in a love relationship Lovers are always looking for ways to delight the Loved One. The Lord certainly knows how I delight in the beauty and wonder of his creation. In the great scheme of things, perhaps this wasn't one of life's weightiest moments, but it certainly was one of the most enchanting I have ever shared with Him. And every time I think of it, I feel exquisitely loved by Him.

© Photo credits: Brenda C Leyland

(Photos in original state, not edited in any way)

A long-time InScribe member, Brenda writes from her home in Alberta, Canada. She shares her love of the beautiful in everyday life with readers on her blog at It's A Beautiful Life and Facebook.

Reasons We Drown and How Not To by Susan Barclay

Sometimes I think God must find us "as thick as a plank." We can be just like the drowning man who dies and goes to heaven only to learn that he passed up three opportunities God had provided for him to be rescued. 

What makes it so hard for us to listen or see what God is trying to tell us? Here are a few possibilities:

1. We're in too big of a hurry. We want what we want when we want it. We're not patient enough to wait on the Lord, His direction and timing. We rush ahead of Him, arrogantly thinking He needs our help to bring things to pass, believing we know what's best even though we can't possibly see the big picture or know what better thing He might have in mind. We forget that:

image by Ben Steed, Heartlight.org

 2. We don't seek His input. Our prayers are one-directional, upwards. We talk to Him about what we want or need; we send up pleas and pleases, as in "Please, God, do x-y-z," "Please, God, provide a-b-c." We don't spend any time listening or being still. Maybe we don't believe He wants to talk to us as much as He wants us to do the talking. I wonder how much trouble we could be spared if we only sought His leading instead of supplicating then getting on with business as usual...

Heartlight.org

 3. We don't know how to listen or see. We don't know how to be quiet for once. We haven't been raised in Christian homes or we haven't had good examples or teaching. The Holy Spirit is there to guide us and show us; all we need to do is ask, attend and be available.

image by Joshua Batchelor, Berea project

I don't know about you, but I've been guilty of not listening or seeing. There have been times when I've been in a hurry, I haven't sought His input, or I just didn't know how to wait on God or even how to accurately interpret the big red flags He was waving. Sadly, He has had to get my attention in hard ways that could have been avoided. 

Though I don't always get it right even now, I've become much better at asking the Holy Spirit to teach me, calling on the Lord and seeking His answers, searching for Him and hoping in Him. My greatest desires, apart from the salvation of my children, are to spend time with Him, learn from Him and experience His goodness while I am yet in the land of the living. Essentially, I want to prevent drowning!

As for a story about a time when God provided me with "extraordinary directions," that's currently under consideration with a publisher. Prayers for a favourable response are appreciated!
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You can find out more about Susan Barclay's writing at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

Dreaming of Things to Come by Susan Barclay

Getting on the fast-track

As I faced this month's writing challenge, initiated by me, I wondered what I had in mind at the time of suggesting it. Anything? Anything at all? Has God spoken to me about my writing or used it to speak to others about Him in a meaningful way? Is He speaking to me now?

If you count my contributions on Inscribe Writers Online, I have received positive feedback fairly often. Thank you for letting me know when a piece I've written speaks to your heart; it's greatly encouraging!

For this post, though, it's the present I latch onto: "...perhaps He is speaking to you now."

He is speaking to me now indeed. Whether it's about the writing or something else, I'm not 100% sure. What I am certain of is that it pertains to my work and that He is calling me to a new thing. This doesn't mean that I'm to stop what I'm currently doing, that I'm to resign my position at the library or step away from my writing commitments or forget about submitting manuscripts, poems, etc. It does mean that I need to pay attention, to look for doors that might be opening, to listen to the comments of others who may be dropping heavenly hints, to hear what God is saying to me through His Word, and to be in prayer, seeking His direction.

One way He has spoken to me recently is through a dream. While I won't go into its details, and I know that it may sound weird to some, a friend who is gifted in interpretation shared that God is entrusting me with something of great value and is putting me on the fast-track somewhere. Through the dream He says that He hears my heart and it matches His for this particular thing. He is present with me, even if I can't see Him. The dream is about something to come but also has a warning: this is the time to get ready, to prepare. A life-changing moment is coming. He will advise me what to do, and it will be done through Him, supernaturally.

If life has been "interesting" this past year (to say the least), it seems that the wow factor may just be ramping up. My desire is to be in the centre of God's will and to say yes to whatever He has for me. I trust that is the desire of your heart for your life as well. May God bless each of us as we respond in obedience and follow where He leads.

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Susan Barclay maintains a website at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com and has practically given up on blogging there.