Listening for the Divine

When you cry in the night, do you ever feel as though someone were listening? Several years ago while I was visiting my family in California my husband called to give me the news that he was let go from work and now unemployed. I am sure that those of you who have been unemployed can fully comprehend just how distressing, upsetting, and stressful this was. Even though it was all of this and more, something wonderful happened too. Something that was amazing and beautiful. Something that taught me that there is always someone who listens to tears in the night. The night I got the news I went to bed with a lot on my mind. Instead of being able to enjoy visiting my family that I hadn't seen all year I now had to make arrangements to leave early. I was worried about my husband being home alone and having no one to comfort him. It was hard to go to sleep that night. The next morning as I was sleeping I became aware that I was dreaming. This is hard to explain, but have you ever been asleep and had the awareness that you were sleeping and dreaming? I had this awareness that I was asleep but I was not dreaming, it was just blank. After I became aware of these facts is when I began to hear music. As I listened I began to recognize it. It was Josh Groban singing, "Don't give up, it's just the weight of the world. Don't give up, everybody just wants to be loved. You are loved." As I listened to this song playing over and over a peace came over me that I was going to be okay and that everything would work out just fine. This was the first of several experiences like this. I would be asleep dreaming and then become aware of sleep state but there would no longer be a dream, just a blankness. As I became aware I would then hear music. The second time it was Sarah Mclachlan singing, "In the arms of the angels you will find some comfort here." Then came Fleetwood Mac singing, "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow, don't stop you will soon see, it'll be better than before, yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone. Ohh, don't you look back." Then the Beatles singing, "Here comes the sun, little darlin', here comes the sun, it's all right." This happened over a few months' time. It seemed every couple of weeks when I would reach a low moment or stood in need of encouragement, the next morning I would receive a song that seemed to say exactly what I needed to hear to carry me through the doubt, stress, worry and fear. And as the days passed the song would come to mind and I would find strength beyond my own to press forward to do what I had to. I was able to encourage my husband through his low moments and found the patience needed for other situations that were happening. One moment in particular was the day I was talking with my husband about how I was feeling overwhelmed. I said, "I know what I know but I am so tired and I just don't feel like I can keep it up. I feel like that female swimmer who was trying to make the swim for the first time and the day of the swim it was so foggy you couldn't see anything. She swam and was almost there when she asked to be pulled out of the water. When she talked about the experience she said, 'If I could have just seen it I could have done it.' That's what I feel like. Like I'm in a fog and I can't see the goal anymore. If I could just see it I could muster the strength to go on but I can't and I don't think I can do it." The next morning is when I heard the Beatles singing, "Here comes the sun". Every song was personal and detailed to me and what I needed at the time. I have always had a deep belief and faith that my Heavenly Father existed. Over the years I have come to see and believe that He loves me. This experience confirmed His love for me but it also gave me something greater. It has shown me that He not only loves me but that He listens to and hears me and knows me personally. He knows me so well that He knows exactly what I stand in need of and gives it to me, if I am only willing to see and accept what He offers. I know that when he talks to me it is personal and unique to me. He knows me as an individual not just one of the many. I share this with you today to tell you that whatever you are experiencing, you are not alone. There is someone who cares. Someone who is watching over you and listening to you. Someone who is waiting to offer you exactly what you need. But in order to receive it you have to be open and be willing to listen. The Divine is calling and offering to help, what will you do?