Spiritual Nudges

I’ve been insanely upbeat this morning, which is quite a feat considering today is grocery shopping day. Unlike most of America I actually enjoy grocery shopping. I don’t even mind it when one of the kids tags along (but put them all together and I turn super-ornery).

In the middle of my excursion today I was overcome by a feeling of welcome expectation, of intense anticipation, as though something really good was happening either at that very moment to someone I love, or will happen very soon. The feeling was so powerful I had to stop in the middle of the cereal aisle (thankfully no one was directly behind me). Even now, several hours later, I’m still riding this spiritual peak.

As many of us know, everything in this world has it's opposite. Just as I am sometimes overcome with these wonderful sensations, I have also known times when feelings of dread and extreme sorrow overtake me so fully I have been brought to tears.

One of these times preceded the death of my precious mother-in-law, a woman who was so remarkable her influence is still felt so many years later. I regret not being able to know her for long. Another time hit me just before my father had appendicitis and was taken to the hospital. Fortunately everything in that event turned out well and he is still here blessing my life.

Other spiritual nudges I have noticed as I pack on the years have to do with a sense of being prepared for something. I have long ago stopped looking at the hardships in my life as being something bad. Rather I look on them as a chance to grow. As many of those in my life can attest to, once the trial is over we have a new outlook and a better knowledge of how God's hand is at play in our lives. They serve as a nudge to remind us to keep close to Him.

The last 18 months I felt myself being prepared for something. I found myself eager to expand my knowledge in various areas, but in particular I discovered a need to explore the life of Jesus Christ as well as the Book of Mormon. I helped launch the site to LDSBlogs.com, writing for both Children and Teens, eventually staying on as a volunteer writer for Teens. I have tried to become more informed in various aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, so that I can be a better teacher. As I have followed these spiritual nudges to the best of my abilities, I have found myself growing closer to my Heavenly Father, to be more ready to recognize and accept further light and knowlege, as well as new paths to take.

One of those paths was wholly unexpected, completely exciting, and one I'm not yet ready to talk about until things are settled.

The purpose of this post today? If you don't feel as though you have experienced a spiritual nudge in a while, perhaps it's time to kneel down and pray for the ability to recognize one when it hits.