The Way God Whispers

I find that I spend most of my life listening and waiting for the whispers of God.

What should I do? Where should I go? What is my purpose? Where is fulfillment?

I ask these questions and more and then I wait…...and I wait…...and I wait.

Where are the answers? Where is Your guidance? Where are your whispers?

However recently I have been discovering that the whispers of God are more like a shout.

We can get so accustomed to listen for whispers that we do not realize that God has been shouting the answer to us from a mountain top all along.

I will give you an example.

The world longs to know the origin of the world and universe. Billions ponder this every day. How did we come to be on this floating rock perfectly rotating in the middle of space?

We search and we dig and we examine and we theorize. All the while the fingerprints of God or so evidently and easily seen in all of creation. God is whispering to us through the shout of His creation.

I see this in my own life. I am horrible with decisions. I overthink and delay and over think some more. All the while searching for the whispers of God. If God would just tell me the direction I should go all of this would be easier. More often than not when I come to my decision and realized I have chosen the right path I can look back and see that while I was waiting for whispers God was shouting the answer, the path to me all along.

Alot of times we also second guess the whispers of God. How can we be sure that answer did indeed come from God? Sure it lines up with what I know to be true in scripture. Sure its what my gut is telling me. But its so far from the norms of society. People will think I am a fool. Its so scary. Its so risky.

So we do that thing where the thunderous whisper of God is reduced to a mind game.

Its time to start listening. Its time to start trusting. Its time to start moving.

Ask the questions and watch and wait for the answers.

Listen for the thunderous whispers of God.

Here are some practical ways to do this:

1. Start a whisper log - Write the questions and then document the answers. Search the scriptures and document when you hear the whispers of God. This will allow you to continue to listen and keep it front of mind. Also it will allow you to look back in the years to come and see the pattern of God’s whispers in your life.

2. Look at yourself: God gives you specific skills, passions and abilities for a reason. He created you for a purpose. Knowing that purpose will help you to identify and decipher the voices of God from the loudness of the world. Know yourself. Find your gifts. That does not mean that God will never ask you to do something that stretches that gift but it will give you a good sense of direction.

3. Does it scare you?: I have found that the whispers of God are not always comfortable. Often the whispers of God are scary, frightening and daunting. Alot of times when something scares us it can be easy to write it off as not being from God when in fact the opposite is probably true. If it scares you it means you're probably on the right track. Think Jonah.

4. Be intentional: Carve time to listen. Find time to take a walk. Make time to watch a sunset. Prioritize time to dig into the scriptures. You will hear the thunderous whispers of God.

Listen. Move.

Pain and Macaroni Salad

Pain.

There are two types of pain. The first is the immediate, jabbing, striking pain. The kind of pain that you feel with a broken finger or an argument. The kind of pain you feel with a swift kick in the gut that knocks the wind from your lungs. It hurts. It stings. More often than not it goes away or fades once the moment is gone.

Then there is the second type of pain. The pain that drips in over time. That is essentially undetected until it becomes too late or irreversible. The type of pain that sneaks in through a window while you're on vacation and takes its time robbing you blind. This is not the pain of a broken finger or an argument but of a slow burn or series of slightly abusive interactions.

This week I had to go in for an emergency dental procedure. For about 6 months I have had a crack in one of my molars. Other than an annoyance it has not really affected my life much. A while back I noticed that it was becoming more sensitive with hot and cold drinks so I simply started drinking using only the other side of my mouth. It was not a huge deal and it was livable.

Then tuesday night I was eating some macaroni salad. Yes, soft macaroni salad. I bit down and felt a strange sensation in my jaw followed by a deafening ringing in my ears. Something was not right. That night I woke up in pain and again realized that the ringing was not fading and I was having difficulty hearing in that ear. Google told me to go to the dentist so thats what I did the following day.

The morning after my dentist visit I woke up and realized something shocking….I was in no pain. I ate my breakfast…..no pain. I had meat for dinner…….no pain. It was incredible.

You see something happened that I did not even realize until it was too late. Over time the pain had slowly become more and more intense. I got more and more used to waking up in pain, being in pain when I ate and drank. It became more and more bearable. I was in living in pain and did not even realize it. The pain became normal. Until one day, something as simple as macaroni salad took me out.

Thats what happens with this second type of pain in our lives. Something seeps in that is slightly painful or abusive or unhealthy and we simply adapt and get used to it. Over time it becomes more and more intense but we just brush it off. Eventually something simple and small puts us over the edge causing an irreversible or damaging pain that must be addressed.

I will write about this more in the future but in the past I have struggled with deep seasons of depression. They did not come until my late 20’s. By that time I had experienced enough life and hurt and pain that I had stories to tell. I never addressed or discussed my hurts with anyone. And then one day something small took me out. I went through stages where I could not get out of bed. I could not handle the littlest thing that crossed my path. It took time and effort to reverse this and its still something I have to maintain today.

So what is the point of all of this. Every one of you reading this has the second type of pain in your life. It will be different for each of us but there is something going on right now that you are letting occur that is causing a slow but building pain. Maybe its the job that is eating away at your soul. Maybe it is the person who says really passive aggressive hurtful things to you. Perhaps you are causing the hurt to yourself and need to break the cycle. Maybe the church has let you down time and time again and you are close to walking away altogether.

It’s time to address these issues. Unaddressed they will build up and cause pain in the form of bitterness, resentment, distrust and the list goes on. Some of us just need to let go or walk away from something that is unhealthy or abusive. Some of us need to confront that which is continuing to hurt us. Some of us simply need to forgive and move on. It is time to identify the source and break the cycle.

Whatever it is, don’t let the pain continue one more day or you may find yourself being taken out by something as simple as macaroni salad.  

It's easy to be a Father

It’s easy to be a father…..

It’s hard to be a spiritual leader. To show my kids what it means to have faith and live it. What it means to trust and obey. To be a part of the Church and active in its mission. What it really means to follow God above the things of this world. What it looks like to live with eternity in mind.

It’s easy to be a father……

It’s hard to be a husband. To show my kids what it means to love well and take care of the woman God gave me . What it means to pay attention to how my wife receives and gives love. To be an active helper and leader in our home. What it looks like to live with her heart and needs in mind.

It’s easy to be a father……

It’s hard to be a daddy. To show my kids love and discipline and teach them what it means to grow. What it means to live a good life and trust God for the big and small. To teach them right and wrong and everything in between and to have fun and be present. What it looks like to live each day to the fullest.

It’s easy to be a father……..

It’s hard to be an example. To show my kids what determination and hard work looks like. What not quitting looks like. What it looks like to live with a legacy in mind.

It’s easy to be a father………

It’s hard to be man. To rid myself of immaturity and childish ambitions of my past. To be dependable on the bad days as well as the good. To stand for something when its hard and you may fail. To teach my boys how to be men of integrity.

Bravery Lessons from a 5 Year Old

Last night I learned a great lesson on how to be brave from my 5 year old Daisy. This week was our church’s annual SBO Jr. (Vacation Bible School). At the end of the 3 day camp they have a quick program where they perform the songs and bible verse for the parents. As Daisy walked into the sanctuary I watched and waited for what she would do. I prayed for bravery for her but was prepared to encourage her after either way.

Flash back to last year at this same time. It was her first year at SBO and she was our first child to attend something like this. She was new to this and we as parents were new to this. None of us knew what to expect and so we did not prepare her to well. The children filed onto the stage and Susan and I watched as Daisy did not participate. She was still super cute and I was still a proud dad but it was hard to watch her stand motionless and serious while the other children were dancing around and having a blast.

This past Sunday Daisy moved into a new class for Church. Susan and I were able to come for part of the class and watch her as she feels out this new environment. She again did not really participate much but I could tell she was really listening and taken it in. The topic of the lesson was having a backbone.

That night as I was putting Daisy to bed we talked a bit about her lesson. This little girl who was so silent and still during church spouted out all kinds of knowledge about having a backbone and what it means to be brave and overcome fear. We talked about SBO coming up and how she would have an opportunity to sing and act out songs and would sing on stage in front of people. I could see it sinking in that she needed to be brave….but would she?

I know in the scope of things its not a huge deal whether she sings and acts out the songs on stage. The important thing I want her to do is overcome her fear. This may seem like a small thing but to a 5 year old things look and are much bigger. If Daisy could overcome this fear now what fears would she be able to conquer in her future.

So there we were sitting in the audience as the first song came on. I was standing in the back to get a good video of her. As soon as I stood up she immediately saw me and shot off a big wave and a smile. For the next 15 minutes I watched as Daisy sang her heart out and waved her arms as big as she could in the air to act out the motions. I literally held back tears because I was so proud. This shy little girl overcame her fears. She was brave. She was awesome.

I snapped the above picture as she was walking out of the sanctuary. Its not a great shot but it shows the joy she had knowing she had been brave and it panned out.

So as I often do, last night I dwelled on this moment. There are so many things in my life right now that I aspire to do. There are so many things that I have 90% completed but am holding back on that last 10%. In many of those instances its simple a lack of bravery.

And so as I watched my 5 year old be so brave last night it gave me courage. Courage to do things that scare me. Courage to try even if I might fail. Courage that, even if I don’t get the result I want or even if others don’t embrace it there will still be a brave little girl at home that will love me just as I loved her.

So whatever is freaking you out today….be brave. Whatever is holding you back…..be brave. Like my shy little 5 year old who stood on that stage in front of all those people and sang her heart out. 

Be brave today.

Are you qualified?

I am becoming more convinced that if you wait until you’re qualified to write a book you will make a great author in the afterlife.

For the first 30 years of my life I waited for someone to tell me I was qualified to do anything. I needed a gold star or an ok from an outside source. I thought I needed the approval of the public majority to be considered adequate enough to produce content or be considered an expert. I thought I needed a degree to speak on certain subject.

I will give you an example.

I have been writing songs for over half of my life (16 years now). I have spent countless hours crafting 100’s maybe even over a 1,000 songs. I have been recognized by others for my craft on occasion and sometimes even applauded for my songs.

I do not say that to brag because most of you reading could not name one of my songs. The reason I  tell you all of that is because at this point I am not a beginner songwriter. In fact on paper I would be considered a seasoned or moderate-professional songwriter.

Yet…..I acted like a beginner. I would never consider myself qualified enough to give someone advice on songwriting. If someone asked me if I was a songwriter I would downplay it because I felt inadequate to wear that title.

But a couple of months ago I turned a corner. I decided that I had something to say about songwriting. I decided that I was qualified to write on the subject.

And so I began to write. My goal was 28 small chapters on the art of songwriting. Do you know what happened? Within 30 minutes I had the chapter topics. In the first 5 days I had written half of what is going to be my first e-book. I discovered that I had more knowledge on the subject than I had realized. I found out that I, Josh Canady had actual experience and advice that could help others. When you realize you have information that can help others that is the best place to be.

And I had the thought…...this is something I have wanted to do for a long time. WHAT HAD I BEEN WAITING FOR?

In this case I had actually received approval from others about my songwriting. I had years of experience. I was waiting on some cloud formation in the sky to spell out “Your Qualified to speak on this subject”.

And now….just a month later…...I have literally almost finished writing a book on songwriting.

And here’s the thing, no one may read it. It may not do a thing. It may sit on Amazon’s digital book shelf for 10 years without a single reader. In that case what’s the worst that would happen? I would have spent time writing and thinking through an issue I am passionate about. I would have gained experience in writing a book and publishing an e-book. And yes, maybe I would be out a few bucks.

But….what’s the best that could happen? The possibilities are literally endless. It could be read and endorsed by Bono and sell 1 million copies and allow me to retire at 31. It could sell a few thousand and allow me to finally call Dave Ramsey and yell “We’re debt free”. It could be read by a teenager that decides to write a song that becomes a hit and changes his life. Or it could sell 1 copy and buy me a free lunch and be chalked up as a learning exercise.

The possibilities for a positive scenario FAR outway the possibilities for a negative one.

Now here’s the thing…..I am not saying that everyone is qualified to do anything. I have no business writing a book about starting a dog walking business. I have no experience in that field and its not something I am passionate about.

Not everyone should record an album. Not everyone should write a book or blog on a biblical subject.

I want my doctor to have proper certifications and qualifications.

But thats not your problem is it? You are waiting on permission or qualification to do something you have always wanted to do….but have never felt good enough for. You are waiting for the world to tell you that you’re great at something you’re passionate about before you show them why you’re great.

The fact is….you are great at something. The world needs what you have to offer.

I have heard many people say “there are so many ______’s already, why do we need another _____ from me”. We need it because you have a unique perspective. No one can ever perform that role in the play like you can. No one can ever record that song like you can. You are the only one who can create that website with your personal touch.

So let the scholars argue over who is qualified to teach a course...while you make money selling your own course on Udemy.com . Let others wait until they are fully certified with a book deal to write a how to guide on best SEO practices while you create a living selling one you self published for $99 on book baby.

Find where your passions meets your skills and consider yourself qualified.

A last bit of advice…..If I may be so qualified enough to give advice…..expect pushback.

Expect some to tell you you are not qualified enough to do that thing you KNOW you can do. Expect people to tell you how crazy that is. Expect the weird looks when you tell someone from your church about this idea you have to make and sell throw pillows with movie quotes on them.

Find where your passions meet your skills and start.

Try. Edit. Adapt. Move

One Year ago today my life changed forever....

One year ago today at almost exactly the same time I am writing this I was in the middle of the biggest crisis of my life to date. I was driving home after having just been laid off from my seemingly stable job at a marketing firm. I was afraid. I was angry. I literally felt as though the ground had been removed from beneath me. And the worst part was I had to go home to my wife and kids that depended on me….and tell them.

I had been working at this firm close to 3 years. We had made a big move from Pennsylvania out to Kansas for this job. Most of my time there was really good. There were some great people that worked there and it did not feel like most office jobs I had worked at before. It did not pay great but I had heard 2 things, at the 3-5 year mark you can see a good pay increase and that at a certain point when you make too much they promptly get rid of you.

I had seen others who I had thought were vital to the company rise to the top and then vanish. But they were not me...I was not going anywhere. People who keep their head down and do everything asked of them like me don’t  get laid off. Those people must have done something really wrong.

In the winter of 2013 after returning from a trip to the east coast to see family Susan and I began really considering a move back in that direction of the country. We had just been informed by my landlord that he had sold our home of only 10 months and so instead of finding another place locally this could be our chance to move somewhere closer to the majority of our families.

My current department at my job was small and had seen a lot of sudden transitions in those months, so not wanting to surprise them with my leaving I went in and talked with my manager about our plans. I thought it was the right thing to do. She was very surprised and seemed a bit shaken. I could see her fear of losing me at this point in our department in her eyes. Though I had my faults I had gone above and beyond for that team. I had tackled a large learning curve and had spent several months being the only person on that team, earning the company 100,000’s of dollars. Not the millions other departments made but nothing to feel bad about.

She told me that there would be management opportunities in the very near future and that if she were me, she would really think about staying because it would be a good move professionally. We decided to stay.

A month later we were faced with the financial strains of moving and other expenses. My 3 year review was coming up in a few months and so I asked if we could potentially talk about a raise a bit early. I certainly deserved one and thought my manager would be on board given her management speech.

A week went by…..nothing. Two weeks went by…..nothing. On the third week she called me into her office. She told me that they would not be able to give me a raise due to my title. Although I acted as the department manager for the better part of that year, my title was that of a coordinator. I was shocked.

The next morning I did the same thing I had done to get the job in the first place….fought for myself. I went into intricate details with my manager and her manager of all the ways I had benefited and in some cases saved our small team. I was polite but also blunt about all the times I had taken a laptop and worked during days off and vacations to keep our team afloat. I explained how we had stayed in this location because I was being considered for management in the near future. I asked that if they were worried about my salary (which was not much) for my title then please change my title to justify a raise.

Shortly after...in fact the day after we signed a lease for our new home….I was told to begin looking for a new job. Apparently fighting for myself was not the best move and was taken as a sign of aggression. My manager denied ever telling me I was being considered for management and downplayed almost every point I mentioned in my email.

I have now come to realize that by fighting for myself I had somehow challenged her authority and made her look weak or aloof in the eyes of her manager.

Three short weeks later I was driving home with a box in the back seat full of items from my desk.

It was the worst ride I have ever taken. The most hopeless miles I have ever driven.

But something happened. The next morning when I woke up….the earth was still rotating. Not only that but I had a day ahead of me with limitless potential. I had only the skills I was born with to put food on my families table. The options were endless.

You see, something happened that dark and beautiful day a year ago. The facade of safety had been lifted. I realized that while culture tells you that going to a 9-5 that you don’t like is the safe and responsible and right thing to do...nothing can be further from the truth. The fact is a manager with a grudge can change your life on a bad afternoon no matter how hard you worked. That idea of safety had been shattered.

The past year has been an adventure. I have been on a journey these past months of discovering what my true passions are and what I really want my life to look like. It has been thrilling and scary all at once.

I am not there yet….but this next year will get me closer.

So with that I want to give you the top 3 things I have learned this year:

Try - I have tried and failed SO MANY things this year. In fact not one of my ideas or ventures has really been a success. But the difference from the past is….I tried. I tried and although I fell flat on my face publically...although I felt embarrassed several times….although I felt misunderstood so, so much…..I am that much closer to my goals and am continuing to refine the direction of my life. Try early and try often.

Say No - As I write this I am not living the dream. But I am not doing things that take me farther from it either. Its easy to say yes but it is hard to say no. Don’t take a certain job because it’s the norm or because its what people expect you to do if you know it will take you farther from what you are meant to do. Don’t spend a day doing something you hate because its the “safe” thing to do. Don’t be everything to everyone else and then not have time for your own passions. Life is a series of edits that either get you closer to your purpose or farther away. Say no to those things that take your further away or distract you from who and what your were meant to be.

Fight for yourself - You reading this right now have a purpose. You literally have been created for something. For some that is the corporate world. I have several family and friends that thrive in that environment….it's what they were born to do. I have many family and friends that were born to do ministry. Its where their skill meets their passion. Its hard work, but comes natural to them. The list goes on. So here is what I am saying….find what you love and fight for yourself. There are going to be people that tell you that you need to do things that you hate. There will be people that tell you that not everyone gets to live their dream. There will be people that tell you you're being unrealistic and that you should just find a job and work hard...that happiness is not a part of the equation. So please expect it and hear me….Find where your skill meets your passion, focus on that and don’t let anyone stop you. Be open to editing, be open to adjusting but keep moving forward little by little by little.

Don’t believe the lie that you cannot be happy with what you do with your life. Don’t believe the lie that security is found in a J-O-B where someone having a bad day can have you out on the street by lunch.  Security is found when you are doing what you were created for.

Find what you were created for….where your skill meets your passion….and don’t stop.

1 year ago today I was given that gift. My life will never be the same…   

The problem with Doubt

Doubt is a powerful force.

We all face it, fight it and succomb to it.

In Christian circles it has been widely discussed. The old school Christians tend to tell you that we should not Doubt God and at the very least express it. The new school of progressive Christians seem to thrive in admitting doubt and encouraging others to be open about their Doubts.

Is God real? Is God loving? Is the Bible really the word of God? How do I trust the words of the Bible and the words of modern day science and still believe it is literal?

In the mid 2000’s I was fully on board the Doubt train. It would excite me that Christianity was become an open and safe place for doubters. I loved that Churches like Mars Hill (Rob Bell) in Michigan were holding “Doubt nights. A gathering where people can just openly express their doubts about God. It excited me and I saw huge potential for this type of movement.

I falsely thought that this movement would promote not only doubt but moving beyond doubt. I thought that the pastor’s and bloggers, the emergent and progressives would help people move beyond this open door of doubt and lead them to trust and faith.

Now almost a decade later I can firmly say….I could not have been more wrong.

Instead of a generation of Christians that moved beyond doubt, we now have a generation that wallows in it. The visible has taken precedence over the invisible. Faith and trust are no longer in our vernacular. Nothing was cleared up and instead the puddle is even more muddy.

Recently I have seen this trend start to pop its head up again and so I have began to think on it.

I have heard people say things like “It is healthy to doubt” or “It’s a safe place for doubters”. Many Christians encourage doubting. Perhaps as a way to open a door or relate to the world. Perhaps as an honest means to discovering truth.

I have come to the conclusion that this encouragement of doubt is a dangerous place to be and is far from the heart of Christ.

I know that is a big statement. I know it does not leave a lot of room for the grey.

Hear me out.

The Good thing about Doubt:

The fact that we all universally experience doubt means that it is a common part of life and so its not something we can or should ignore. We can and should be open about doubt. I don’t think we have to go overboard and hold doubt nights at our churches but yes, the church should be  safe place to doubt.

But……

We must be moving people beyond the doubt. We must be on a journey to becoming beacons of Trust, Faith and Truth. We must be encouraging people to man up just as much as we are encouraging them to be open about doubt.

The Bad thing about Doubt:

Doubting is NOT a good thing. At some point because we longed to be a safe place for doubters we fooled ourselves into also thinking it was acceptable as a destination. It is not. It is normal and it is ok to doubt but we MUST move or be moving towards a place of Faith and Trust and Truth.

I have heard recent articles with the likes of Rob Bell, musician Gungor, Jars of Clay frontman Dan Haseltine and others in the public eye as Christians embrace doubt as a beautiful thing. Doubting scripture as literal. Doubting Hell as real. Doubting God as real or loving.

It is normal….but it is not beautiful.

So why do I say that it is far from the heart of Christ to be serial doubters.

In Matthew 19 we read a story about a young rich guy who comes and asked Jesus how to have eternal life. There is an interaction that ultimately comes down to Jesus telling him to sell everything and follow Him to be saved. The rich man could not do it and walked away grieving because he owned too much. Jesus ends this by saying to His disciples concerning being saved “With people this is impossible but with God all things are possible.

There are many points to this story. At the end of the day this rich man doubted. If he fully believed that he really would inherit eternal life and treasures beyond his dreams he would have had no problem selling everything. He doubted and so he missed out.

But…. the most remarkable thing about this story is Jesus’ response. He did not go chasing after him yelling “This is a safe place for you to doubt me! Please stay, we are holding a doubt night this Thursday!” No. Instead he kept about His journey of teaching those around Him with a statement about losing doubt and having faith in the one who makes the impossible possible.

Do we do that today?

Do we encourage doubters to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and have Faith?

Do we spend as much time encouraging people to move beyond doubt and trust in the one who makes the impossible possible?

I don’t think we do. And I think that is a reason we have so many in the Christian community today that wallow in doubt and never move past it.

In conclusion, its fine to wake up with doubt but don’t go to bed with it. Its fine to open about doubt but at some point you do need to move into Faith and Trust. Its fine to have big questions but when you do not get the big answers you must move ahead and find a way to trust.

Maybe instead of Doubt Nights we should have been having Faith nights.

I don’t know….I don’t have the answers. I just know that He is who He says He is. At the end of the day His words and promises are true. I know that when it does not make sense in my little brain it makes sense to the one who created my little brain. The one who makes our impossibilities possible.

So here’s to doubting and moving beyond.

Onward and upward.

“Doubt your Doubts before you Doubt your faith”