The Pathway(s) of Life

Thanks to Bill Power for the following Thomas Merton quote:

"MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

Knowing the will of God is a challenge. There's the obvious stated will of God that we find in His Word (which actually isn't always obvious and clear, depending on the issue...), but what I'm talking about is His will for my life, or your life, specifically. How does that get communicated to us? Through a revelation by His Spirit? By our 'natural' or 'God-given' abilities and desires, as the above quote mentions? But my desires must be in line with His written will, in scripture, right? If I think God is communicating his will for me to do something that I'm really passionate about, if that passion is contrary to his Word, than I'm likely off a bit in what I think His will is for me. That said, I don't think there is any one particular way that God chooses to speak to us. He probably speaks to us in many different ways, in still whispers, in our abilities, desires and passions, through people who know Him and know us, through His Spirit, through open doors, through perseverence. We're often not too good at listening though, so if we even pick up on one of those forms of communication we're doing well. I'm trying to learn how to hear God better, to be more aware of what he's saying, in the small moments of day to day life, but also in the big picture aspect too.