Discerning what God is teaching

Life is a series of lessons. Everything that happens in life can teach us something. Often we wonder why and what we're being taught. Romans 8:28 covers it all when Paul says, "In all things we know God works for the good of all who love him and are called according to his purpose."

The Holy Spirit speaks in the ordinary. My little granddaughter brought a stray kitten home last weekend. She had been told previously she could have no other pets because she already has a dog, cat, bird, crabs, turtle and goldfish. After trying unsuccessfully to give the kitten away, we gently transported him to the Humane Society.

"Pets require care," we told Jenny, "as well as funds for food and health care." We explained there were many reasons why we could not adopt another pet, and Jenny understood. But I wondered what lesson she had learned by bringing a pet home unannounced, then having to sacrifice ownership. I explained all things happen to teach us something and asked her what lesson she learned from the incident. She mulled the question awhile and then said, "I don't know, but is it that I shouldn't pick up pets and bring them home without asking?" Without recognizing the lesson taught, Jenney would continue making the same error.

How do we realize what lessons God is trying to teach? Children usually lack the familiarity to discern how God speaks, but adults can experience a changed life if they learn to discern what the Holy Spirit is speaking. John 16:13 says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." It's the role of the Holy Spirit to reveal what's true. If we can ask ourselves what we're supposed to learn from joys and crises, everything that happens contains value. How comforting and exciting. Every day can be an adventure. When I arise from bed each morning, I ask God what experiences I'll encounter today. Each new dawn allows me another opportunity to look, listen and try to discern what the Holy Spirit is trying to reveal, if I but notice. The key is to pay attention, especially listening with our hearts.

How often are criminals apprehended and imprisoned? Although serving jail time takes freedom from people's lives, when they're finally released they indeed can be liberated. If they've learned the lesson intended, they can own new hope for a peaceful and fulfilling life.

Often people lose jobs, are forced into an environment of someone else's choosing or must interact with people who treat them disrespectfully. You wonder why this happened, why you're dissatisfied and are being treated so insensitively. Sometimes that's when God's saying, "You need to move on, adjust to new situations and grow." God knows we like to stay comfortable where we are, doing what we've always done. He frequently allows the unpleasant so we're forced into what we need or what will genuinely satisfy us.

We occasionally discover and realize our "passion" through a variation or an unpleasant occurrence in life. The answer's often hidden, begging for our resourcefulness to expose it. In the book "Acres of Diamonds" a man bought a piece of ground on which oil was supposedly plentiful. After trying to find oil unsuccessfully, he sold the land to another who looked to see what the plot contained. The new owner found nothing less than diamonds. Some lessons we can learn from the story are to evaluate our present circumstances well before making the decision to change. Don't maintain tunnel vision failing to examine other options. Take chances. Sometimes we should make changes and other times we ought to stay put. The Holy Spirit constantly speaks. Are we listening?

Ellen Shuck is director of religious education at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau.