Listening to God

My God story started way back when Kujo, my youth pastor, first asked me to give a message for the youth group. The very first word that came out of my mouth was, “What?! You want me to go first?!" Then he told me, “Yeah, just pray about it.”

So I started praying about it, and I asked God to give me a message if he wanted me to speak. But the whole time I was praying about it I still didn’t want to do it. I was just pretending to listen so I could tell Kujo no. So one night at youth group I was ready to tell Kujo no, but I couldn’t find him anywhere so I couldn’t tell him.

That night while I couldn’t fall asleep (stupid coffee) God totally revealed to me how I was not listening to him at all and gave me a message on listening—The very thing I was not doing! At first I was so excited that God actually gave me a message so I could speak. Then I remembered that I promised Him I would speak if He gave me a message, and I was terrified of getting up in front of my peers and speaking. 

But as the day drew closer, God clearly gave me the words He wanted me to say and gave me peace whenever I asked for it. And when the time really did come for me to get up there and give the message God gave me, I was inexplicably calm and peaceful. I learned so much from this experience; it turned out to be one of the coolest things I have ever done!

Shauna Buhl