Finding God's Will

I read a book this weekend, but I'm not going to tell you the name or the author. It is kind of embarrassing, since it was a Christian fiction romance kind of a book--probably geared to someone in the college age range more than someone with "one foot and three toes in the grave" (to quote one of my former youth group members as he remarked on my age).

Yeah, I pretty much had a weak moment and bought a book that did absolutely nothing to further my intelligence. My Grandpa Dietsch is shaking his finger at me from the Great Beyond even now. He would always take me to bookstores and buy me anything I wanted, provided it challenged me mentally. Fiction was generally a no-no, unless it was some great work of literature, like Shakespeare. Because of that constant reinforcement in my childhood (since books are my addiction and my Grandpa was my supplier!), I feel internally guilty whenever I read popular fiction. I do it on occasion, despite the guilt.

Anyway, because it was Christian fiction, the author felt the need to infuse it with pearls of faith-based wisdom. Actually, some of it was rather insightful. Something that made me think was her discussion of God's will. She wrote about something called "Hot on His Heels Theology" The meaning of this: in order to know what God's will is for our lives, we need to stay so close to Him that we can actually hear what He tells us to do (i.e. hot on His heels). This is in contrast to the idea of God closing doors and opening windows in order to show us what to do and where to go. Though, I must admit, I am not opposed to the theology of the closing door. I try to stay as close to God as possible, listen intently, practice spiritual disciplines, seek discernment, etc. But there are moments when a decision needs to be made and I am still not sure what God wants me to do. So, I go with the option that I think is best and pray, "God, if this is not the direction I am supposed to be going, please just slam the door in my face". Usually, if I am headed the wrong way, that is exactly what happens.

The whole "Hot on His Heels Theology" thing, discussed in my forever anonymous book, gives the impression that sometimes God speaks very quietly and you have to get really close in order to know what He is saying. This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode with the "low talker". Maybe God is a Cosmic "low talker" and we have to draw ever closer to hear what He is saying to us. If this is true, it is not because God is playing some game with us. I think it is because we so easily take the reigns into our own hands, rush ahead of what God is doing, and do our own thing...then we get in trouble. Maybe God speaks softly so we will slow down, learn to wait, follow after Him, and really be ready for the answers that we are seeking. I like that idea. If we want to know what God's will is for our lives, we have to get as close to Him as possible and stay there...seeking God with all that we are, until we hear (and understand) His voice.

Speaking of God's will: In my life, God has opened up an opportunity that I feel led to pursue. I was accepted today to a Doctorate of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. I will begin this July. Basically, I go twice a year, for 10 days each time, for a residency. The rest of the year, I read books and write papers...a lot of books and a lot of papers. The focus is in Marriage and Family Counseling, and by the end of the program, I should be eligible to take the state exam to become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in addition to receiving my doctorate. I am very excited about the opportunity. I am sure you will hear more about it on the blog in the future.