by Joanie Butman
My visit with my folks this week was a three-day game of Mad Libs. For those of you unfamiliar with this party game, you substitute for blanks when prompted for a noun, adjective or verb without knowing the story. It makes for some hilarious results. And so do my conversations at “The Farm*.” My mom is hard of hearing, my dad has dementia, and their aide has a heavy accent which is sometimes difficult to decipher. Add the wearing of masks and it multiplies the difficulty in communication. There are usually two or three conversations going at the same time, each person filling in the blanks as needed – myself included. It’s no wonder we all walk around in a state of confusion.
Mad Lib communication isn’t limited to the aging or the actual game. Sadly, this scenario also describes my prayer life. I’d like to say I hear God clearly, but that’s just not the case. Sometimes His answer is glaringly obvious, but that’s rare. Ordinarily, I’m tempted to fill in the blanks. The results range from comedic to disastrous. The disastrous ones result from asking for guidance and then not waiting long enough for His answer, or letting my own agenda crowd out any direction from God. Then there are the times where I forge ahead without even asking for Divine guidance, but ask for His blessing after the fact. I wouldn’t recommend either.
Learning to hear God is a challenge for anyone because it is unique to each individual. There isn’t a prescribed method of communicating with the Divine, which is why it takes a lot of trial, error, and above all, practice. Plus, it’s also always evolving. God has a love language for everyone. No one can determine your unique relationship and communiqué with God, but I can tell you once you choose to tune into the frequency He’s reserved just for you, it will be well worth the effort as it becomes a life-long conversation.
As for filling in the blanks, God probably derives a lot of amusement watching our efforts. His patience knows no bounds, so don’t be discouraged. He has to repeat Himself a lot with me. Thankfully He gives us a spiritual hearing aid to amplify His voice: the Holy Spirit. He is the Divine version of a listening device and an excellent teammate in spiritual Mad Libs because He inspires the correct answers when we choose to seek His guidance. Choose wisely!
*The Farm: my parents' moniker for their assisted living residence.