Why Heavenly Nudges are Necessary

“Who cares if I can play the organ?”

This was the cranky attitude I had after this stubborn nagging thought returned to me yet, again:

“You need to learn to play the organ.”

My head landed dramatically on the keys of our piano with a bang.

“Seriously?”

Learning the organ meant a possibility of having to play the organ in front of people. Because let’s be real. Who would learn the organ only for the sheer joy of playing for an audience of one, alone at home? Okay. Maybe Bach. But I never met the man.

Having ignored my own share of “nudges” in the past and having witnessed the less-than-perfect consequences of doing so, I chose to humble myself and act. 

I reluctantly called a friend to show me the basics. 

Three weeks later . . . let me be clear . . . we’re only talking about twenty-one days . . . I was called in to meet with my ecclesiastical leader. He asked . . . Yes. You guessed it. If I would be willing to play the organ each week for church. That meant in front of people. Like a whole congregation of people.

AHHHH!

But I did it. And now, more than a decade later, I have played the organ on and off, adding up to approximately six years of service. 

The dumb thing is that I would have been better prepared if I had acted on the very first nudge to learn. I am reminded of this now and then when new terrifying “nudges” show up in my life. 

Recently my husband took up canning, and he actually thinks it’s fun. He does it for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is to encourage us to make healthier choices than processed or fast food when we’re on the run. Another is to be more self-sufficient, and lastly, to prepare us for a rainy day. (Like former seasons of unemployment we have endured.)

The canning process teaches some really cool principles — so stay with me for just a minute. 

In order to can chicken (which is all he has done so far - twice), my husband has to prepare the jars. He sterilizes them and organizes the lids. He then cuts up the chicken (which is not necessary - but certainly convenient on the other end.) He adds salt, sets the lids, and puts the jars in a pressure cooker. Finally, heat and pressure are applied, and the chicken is sealed up and prepared for a future need. The chicken is good in that state for 3-10 years. Isn’t it interesting that he could prepare for a future event so long in advance? I’m sure even longer in some cases.

But let me tell you what happened. 

The very next day after his first canning adventure, I had an emergency arise. I had a friend who was struggling, and I wanted to bring her dinner. I made some soup, and I thought I had plenty of time to cook some chicken to add to her family’s dinner. I unexpectedly had to take the soup much earlier than planned, and the chicken hadn’t even thawed yet. Yipes. 

But, hooray. I was in luck. I opened a jar of my husband’s newly sealed chicken, and moments later I was on my way to deliver the meal. His preparation paid off.

So what does this have to do with anything? Well. Seasons of loss, sadness and mourning come to all of us. Times of change, stress, and overwhelm. Burdens to lift. Hearts to heal. Lives to touch, and challenges to overcome. Each of us has a need for sterilizing, preparation, intense heat, and a bit of pressure over the years, and they are here for a purpose — to preserve us as instruments in God’s hands. Sometimes the opportunities for Him to use us comes more quickly than we would have imagined - like with me learning the organ only three weeks before the call came and my urgent need for cooked chicken less than twenty-four hours after it was prepared.

Each little “nudge” helps us prepare for those times, so it’s worth paying attention when they come. And let’s be honest. Heavenly “nudges” are God’s way of refining and preserving us to do His divine work.

Your turn. What struggles and/or nudges have you felt recently? What does God want you to do with them? Perhaps you’ll notice that your preparation will be just in time as well, and when you do, I’d love to read your story in the comments below.

Would you like some support as you practice listening to those heavenly nudges? I’d love to help.

How I Lost $40 to a New Genius Idea

For whatever deranged reason, my youngest son has been seriously excited about getting braces. The orthodontist dropped a bomb when he announced that all his baby teeth had to come out first. Because he’d had a terrible time getting his previous teeth out, he was super bummed. The dentist has pulled three of them out for various reasons.

One of his teeth was especially stubborn and caused him a lot of pain. Trying to avoid another $100 extraction at the dentist, I told my son-in-law I’d pay him $50 if he could get the tooth out instead. The two of them attempted it for a couple of days, and they finally worked the tooth out. (I think my son was closer to passing out than I had realized. Yipes.) But the pulled tooth held a lot of answers for us. The root was fully intact, and it had a jagged spike out the side that was catching on the gum line.

Ouch. 

Well . . . my son has slowly been able to get all but one of his remaining teeth out since the beginning of the year. But there is one unyielding tooth that has been a real challenge. He has been working on it now for almost four months. 

At my own dental appointment I asked the doctor about my son. Since the insurance offers better coverage for his braces at the beginning of the year, the dentist pointed out that we have time for him to keep working on loosening his tooth. If it remains steadfast, then the dentist said he would pull it in time for the braces. 

Then I had a brilliant idea. Since our out-of-pocket cost for an extraction is about $70, I made my son a proposal. “You work on getting your tooth out over the next three months, and if you pull it, I’ll pay you $40.” This way we both win. He wasn’t delighted because he just wanted it out, but he could see that I wasn’t going to pay $70 to do it sooner. 

Let me tell you the inspiring events that came next. 

Apparently he went to bed that night bothered about the tooth. He didn’t want to wait for another three and a half months to get it out, so he imagined how it would feel if it was gone. He felt grateful, as if it was already out. Mindset is everything.

He woke up the next morning with a thought . . . what if this tooth has the same weird shape as the last one? It was almost like he saw in his mind what his tooth could possibly look like above the gum line. With that idea in his head, he visualized how to “unhook” the tooth. He started twisting it a bit and felt it give. He was so excited that he jumped out of bed and ran in to look in the mirror. With just a tiny little twist, and a bit of a painful tug, it was out! 

Isn’t it amazing how quickly he reached his goal once his mindset changed? 

He went from believing the dentist was his one and only option to searching for a new solution. He “saw” it done, and he felt the relief he would feel, as if the tooth was already out. Then he felt gratitude. 

This shifted everything. Now he was open and prepared to receive an inspired idea that essentially solved his problem. 

Over the last couple of years since I have learned about the laws of thought, I have experienced similar situations many times. Here are some examples:

• Moments when I’ve said something wrong and offended someone. I’ve seen (in my imagination) our misunderstanding resolved. And then I’ve had inspired ideas come that have smoothed things over.

• Times when I’ve worked on a project that has caused me grief. I have imagined it completed, and the missing piece comes to me.

• Experiences when I have needed someone’s heart softened at a company to allow for an opportunity or a refund or something contingent on their kindness. After feeling grateful — as if it’s already taken care of — I just happen to talk to the right person, and they are super accommodating.

• Instances writing when it seems the creative juices have ceased to flow. Suddenly new thoughts and stories have come to my mind after I’ve visualized the outcome I want and have been grateful for the answer I expect will come.

So let’s return to my son. As long as he felt frustrated and helpless about his tooth, he was stuck. He had no answers. Remember? It had been four months that he felt he was beating his head against a wall. But the idea came and the tooth was out hours after he chose to create a new story.

The answers can come that quickly. This wasn’t just random luck for my son or for our family. These are principles we can trust.

What solutions are you seeking? 

This can work for you, too. Simply “see” the outcome you want and feel gratitude. 

But now that you know the secret . . . I’m not making any more $40 wagers. Just sayin’.

Are you ready to get “unstuck?” I’m here to help.