Hearing the Lord.
What does that even mean? The phrase is used so loosely, and kinda sounds taboo, honestly.
I remember being at training camp when they asked us to do an exercise (I don’t like to call it an exercise, but for the lack of a better phrase). We sat around in circle with our teams and closed our eyes. A leader tapped someone’s shoulder.
Then we all just sat in stillness, waiting for a word. A picture. A phrase. When something came to mind, they asked us to speak it in boldness.
I remember cringing at the idea. I knew I wouldn’t get anything. Even if I did, I knew I wouldn’t want to speak it out. What if I was wrong? What if the person didn’t relate to it at all? I’d just look like an idiot.
Regardless, we still had to try. I remember odd things popping up in my mind that seemed to be random thoughts that I was daydreaming from distraction. Mountains came up for one of my teammates, and she affirmed that mountains have significance in her life. She even had mountains tattooed on her shoulder blade.
That moment stirred up curiosity in me. What the heck does this “hearing the Lord” actually mean? Is it real? Was all of that training camp stuff just coincidence?
Then the Race started, and I was desperate to hear the Lord. Whatever that meant. I tried, and tried. Nothing. I was frustrated. And that continued into month 2 in Romania.
We did another similar exercise as a squad where we spoke things out for a person (not knowing who the person was). During that exercise, the squad mate I was partnered with affirmed that the things I spoke meant something to her. It was exciting. I actually was getting something.
When month 3 rolled around, we had a time where we just prayed for the Lord to put someone on our hearts in Malawi. While we sang in worship, my thoughts trailed to someone from back home. I was irritated at myself, thinking I was distracted. Throughout worship I couldn’t shake that person from my thoughts.
That’s when I realized that the Lord was actually trying to tell me something. I pursued that trail of thoughts, and after a phone conversation, a prayer was answered for that person halfway across then world.** If that isn’t hearing the Lord, I don’t know what is.
I realized that it’s not some booming voice coming down from Heaven. I think that’s where the phrase “hear the Lord” can get confusing and ambiguous. I’m not saying the Lord isn’t capable, but I’ve never encountered Him in that way.
I’ve learned that the Lord uses so many different ways to speak to all of us. It’s definitely not a one size fits all type of thing. For me, it honestly just comes in the form of a thought. A thought that feels injected in my brain, meaning that it just feels like it came out of nowhere and doesn’t fit with my other trail of thoughts.
Some of you reading this have heard the Lord and are not shaken by anything you’re reading. Some of you are probably questioning my sanity as you scroll through this post. I get it. I’d never heard or thought through this concept before the Race.
The reason I’m writing this is to simply bring up this concept. It’s been such a process for me on the Race, and I wanted to share it with anyone that follows my journey. I can hear the Lord, and I want you to pursue Him and hear Him, too.
**If you want read about that story, check out my blog My Own Backyard from Malawi!
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