When reading others' discussions on gospel topics, especially those that people struggle with, I find it fascinating to see just how much our internal biases affect how we can listen to the Spirit. Most of those common issues are not problems for me. I've prayed about it and received answers that satisfy me, ways of looking at mortality, the Church, and God's dealings with His people which give me patience and a bit of a sense of humor about the whole thing. But many people struggle perennially.
While those aren't problems, I've been struggling in the same way with personal answers. It's as if I feel that an answer is out there, I'm just incapable of hearing it, no matter how I wrack my mind and heart. As a silly example, it is as if I hate breakfast cereal and am praying over breakfast to know what is healthier to eat, a doughnut or Cheerios. The whole time, the Spirit is trying to tell me to eat oatmeal, but I just don't have a paradigm for it.
Watching others makes me wonder how often I do this, and how to get around it.
For what sorts of problems are you waiting for an "oatmeal answer"?
>>As a silly example, it is as if I hate breakfast cereal and am praying over breakfast to know what is healthier to eat, a doughnut or Cheerios. The whole time, the Spirit is trying to tell me to eat oatmeal, but I just don't have a paradigm for it.<<
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example!
My living of the law of consecration. I am sure that for a person in my situation there's a more consecrated way to live my life than the one I am doing. In that department I'm mostly avoiding the donuts but I have a strong sense that I'm eating cheerios (which I'm okay with) mixed with oatmeal. That is better, admittedly, than donuts. But it's daunting to try to figure out the pathway to a higher ratio of oatmeal.
ReplyDeleteI manage the questioning challenge by simply assuming that I'll learn it in small increments, and then try to keep alert for small bits of inspiration to implement as they come. And when they do, pray for help implementing them.
Meanwhile, I deal with the niggling that goes on in my head as best I can.