Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4-5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you
James 1:5

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Since I have retired, I have traveled  extensively and because I am alone, I regularly pray to hear the Holy Spirit’s guidance to make wise decisions. He is so delightfully gracious! 

I’ll never forget when I visited Arches National Park. After some research, I discovered that a great sunset location was Delicate Arch. I also knew that after photographing the colorful post-sunset sky with the iconic rock formation in the foreground, I would have to hike back in the dark—so naturally, I packed my headlamp. I figured that since it was a popular site, other people would also be at the arch and hiking back. While stopping at a viewpoint during the early afternoon, I began chatting with a woman. She inquired about my next plans and  I told her my sunset plan. She very sarcastically replied, “Good luck with that!”

My knee-jerk reaction was to think, “She simply doesn’t know how capable I am.” But still, I prayed, “Lord, did you set this woman in my path? Are you warning me?” Was He answering my constant prayers for wisdom? I decided to readjust my timeline and hiked up two hours earlier to evaluate the path. If I deemed it too difficult for a descent in the dark by myself, then I would come down early and find another sunset location. 

Yikes! What I found is that sometimes there was no path, just broad rock 60 feet wide. I lost my way twice ascending and waited for another group to pass so I could follow them. The last quarter mile was a crazy three-foot-wide drop to what seemed like a death ledge. At the top, I was thanking God profusely. There was no way I was going back in the complete “out west” middle of nowhere dark.

For me, wisdom looks like a continuous chatter with the Holy Spirit. Thanking Him when following directions yields splendid results. And when I mistake His voice, I pray He will help me hear more clearly the next time. I don’t have all the answers, so I must remain humble to listen,  alert to when He employs situational communication, and remain open to other people’s input and discernment in evaluating it.  

Next Steps

How are your conversations with God? Ask Him for wisdom in the next small task. If a situation goes sideways, ask Him what He is teaching you. In time, communicating with Him will become more natural.