Guidance requested

...Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God... Isaiah 9:6

My time tonight with God started when I was walking the dogs. I often pray when walking the dogs. Since the purpose of the walk is to get the dogs to go the bathroom it is a relaxing time. We just meander around the neighborhood, stopping at every shrub, tree, and mailbox post.

Before we left the house I was thinking about what I would meditate on tonight. I felt like I needed guidance. I immediately started thinking about what verses/passages spoke of guidance and I also thought about what key words could I use to find what I was looking for in a concordance. Counselor came to mind and automatically Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God pops into my head. As I walk the dogs I ask God to give me guidance. A friend has confided in me about a situation she is in and is distressed about. I don't think my friend is a Christian. When she first told me I had know idea what to say or do. I was honest with her and told that I didn't know how to help, but that I would listen.

I have thought about her and the situation since she told me and I wish I had words of advice or encouragement to give her. I told this to God. I have also been praying for this friend for a while about sharing Christ with her. I feel now is the time. I am a conversation planner so immediately start thinking of how to start this conversation. We eat lunch almost everyday together and we are possibly going out tomorrow evening after work. I asked God how was I to start this conversation. The why I was thinking seemed lame and possibly confrontational. Then God reminded me of a situation while not identical did leave me with the same emotions that she is dealing with. She is aware of the situation, but I don't think she knows the situation since it happened before we met.

I was still going over in my mind the details and how to share the situation with her to be most effective when I came in to meditate. Immediately upon kneeling my mind quieted. I barely even had to think Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God to focus my mind. I realized after quite some time that there were no thoughts - I was completely still in mind and body. Of course as soon as it dawned on me my mind started whirling. I repeated the verse a few times. I also thought about Isaiah 11:2 and asked that the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, the Spirit of counsel and strength be bestowed upon me when I go to talk to my friend. However, the peace and stillness that I experienced in the beginning of my time did not return.

God knew that I needed to still my mind. If I allow myself to put the conversation together too much I either wind up talking myself in circles and lose the point or I become so focused on how the conversation should go that if the "moment" does not present itself exactly as I pictured it I will never start the conversation in real life.

I need to work on patiences during my time of meditation. This is only the second week that I have meditated for 20 minutes and this week it felt long. It could have to do with all the silence and stillness I was experience or maybe it is because I am so stiff after all the housework I did this weekend I felt like Rice Krispies this morning (my back snapped, crackled, and popped when I got out of bed). Maybe it was because I felt that God had told me what He wanted and so I no longer needed to sit there - nah, I needed the stillness. Though part of me still feels the need to plan the conversation; I am content with waiting for it to just happen because of that 20 minutes of stopping and focusing on God.