Preparation

I am watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee and am blown away by the level of competition. These kids are amazing! I cannot even begin to calculate how many hours they have spent in study to get to this day. When it all comes down to it, they have to rely on their intuition to see them through this final phase.

"Intuition does not come to an unprepared mind." Einstein

Kavya Shivashankar won this year's contest. It was her fourth time to the finals. This persistent young lady had her mind set on a goal and was willing to do the work to make it happen. She has lived this Einstein quote even if she has never heard it. She won because she could call upon the wealth of knowledge she worked hard to acquire.

This principle of preparation also works on a spiritual level. You cannot expect to be able to discern God's voice if you haven't put time in preparing to hear it. Prayer, study, worship, and fasting are the tools used to get your heart in shape to listen for the Holy Spirit. These past years have caused me to listen more carefully. It isn't some sort of compensation for the suffering, it is that the suffering has left me more time to prepare. My soul becomes more and more able as my body becomes less so. As odd as it seems, I am thankful for it all. I am uncertain I would have chosen to invest the time to get to this point.

So I will remember the good example Kavya has set and seek to follow her leadership.

Preparing,

jené