“When I listen in hiddenness, God’s thoughts reveal themselves and become precious. My hearing, trained in that hiddenness, becomes attuned to the best kind of sound: my friend.”- Sara Hagerty
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”- Psalm 139:17 (NKJV)
Sara Hagerty concludes Chapter 13 of Unseen as she notes that God’s thoughts toward us get lost when we fail to realize what we’re truly craving. Because we seek affirmation from a sea of human eyes. Consequently, Ms. Hagerty expresses her desire for friendship with God:
“I want God to get the best of me. Unfurled and reaching. Exposed but tender. Whether in the dark of light. Open to Him.”
Therefore, Sara exhorts, we need to pray without ceasing. The kind of conversation with God the apostle Paul encourages in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18. And if gaps in our prayer life exist, Sara observes, those gaps provide reason to pause and examine. For Paul forged his relationship with God in adverse circumstances. Yet, Ms. Hagerty adds, Paul prayed because he’d grown to want nothing more, not because he should (emphasis Sara’s). The author summarizes:
“Unceasing prayer can grow to be something we do not because of discipline but because of friendship. Desire. It’s where we’re headed, if we’ll let Him take us there.”
However, self-coaching never creates a lasting shift. When we wish we could just walk away from the pain, we need to live with an expectation of victory. As you journey through the hidden spaces of your life, truly believe these hidden moments matter.
Today’s question: When you listen in hiddenness, how does your hearing become attuned to God? Please share.
Coming Monday: the annotated bibliography of Unseen
Tomorrow’s blog: “My place at the table”
