When the thought to move my kids to a totally new area of town after my divorce first entered my mind, I dismissed it as nonsense. I was a single parent, and I was up to my eyeballs in the day-to-day reality of raising three kids on my own and running a business. Plus, I was still emotionally raw from a very difficult two year divorce. Yet, the more I tried to push the thought out of my mind, the more it haunted me. The more I tried to convince myself that it was a bad idea, the more this feeling of excitement and “rightness” grew within me. As the days and weeks clicked by, I could not shake this idea. One day as I was praying, in a burst of frustration, I let go of my fears and excuses and shouted to Our Lord, “Okay! Okay! If that’s what you want me to do, I will do it.” Six weeks later all the pieces miraculously fell into place, and I was in my new home, ushering in a period of happiness and peace for me and my kids.

When thoughts or inspirations hit you from out-of-the-blue, especially if they haunt you, don’t ignore them. That is usually a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work. Bring them into prayer and ask Our Lord for guidance. Ask him if these inspirations are from him. Seek spiritual direction from a priest or spiritual director. The feelings associated with the inspiration are also clues. Being afraid to do something is not a sound reason not to do it. Doing the right thing is often difficult and overwhelming. However, a lack of peace is not the same as fear. It is that equally haunting feeling that something is just not right, and is a warning sign that the inspiration is most likely not of God. Things of God bring a sense of peace with them.

The resistance you feel to God’s inspirations is often the friction from fear. Trusting in Christ is the lubricant. Once you surrender your fears and begin to really trust him, you will be amazed at how everything falls into place. That’s how Christ works. He rewards our surrender and trust with abundant peace and joy.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Originally posted 2014-07-28 06:00:07.