I know, I know, "but God is so busy, my little problems won't concern Him."

Sorry, but you're just gonna' have to get over that! It's soooo not true!

If you have children, consider yourself lucky that you know how much love a parent can have for their child. If you do not have children, I'm sure that there has been someone who you loved so much that you overlooked their faults and focused on their positive traits instead. That's close to a parent's love if you multiply it times a thousand! Do you think God loves you any less than that? Noooo.

Let me give you a little background about me. I did not have a good father role-model when I was growing up. Our own fathers are the ones most of us use when we create our image of God. He's Our Father, right? In the Baptist faith, I "learned" that God was sitting up there in Heaven watching me with a fly swatter in His hand, just waiting for me to screw up so He could swat me. You know, the hellfire and brimstone stuff.

Anyway, after having my own children, I began to re-think this image. There was no way my mind could wrap itself around the idea that someone who loved me as I loved my own children would be doing that. So I have created a new image of God. I chose Cliff Huxtable as my model. You remember, he was the character portrayed by Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show in the 80's. He was the even-tempered father that you felt comfortable asking anything. And he never got angry at his children for just being children.

Let's think just a little deeper, shall we? Take this image of a Father and add to that the fact that God knows you better than anyone. He knows the (gasp!) real you. He knows the you that you think nobody else knows.

AND HE STILL THINKS YOU'RE GREAT!!!!!

AND HE STILL WANTS TO HELP YOU!!!!!

Now about the faith stuff. When you are driving at night and using your headlights, you can only see so far in front of your car, right? Well, do you not have faith that the road continues past your view? Yes, you do. And in the tricky spots, you can usually put on your highbeams, right? And you have faith that you will reach your destination, even though you cannot see the entire path. Okay, stay with me here.

You are on God's path. He can see the entire route you will take to reach your destination. (And you're gonna' love it!) He has the map. He's the Navigator. All you have to do is ask for directions. And if you're like me, once three or four turns are thrown in, your eyes start to glaze over and the rest is lost. So, it's better for me, in my newly re-found faith to only get one step at a time. Baby Steps for the young faith. God doesn't want to overwhelm us.

Also keep this in mind....the first time you got into a car to learn how to drive, you didn't make a cross-country trip, did you? One step at a time is typically how we learn something that we will be using the rest of our lives.

So ask already. Just talk to God like he's your best friend. Like a real person. Be upfront, He knows when you're being real.

Just say something like:

"God, You know I've been trying really hard to keep my faith and follow the path that You want me to follow. I realize that sometimes You only want to show me small portions of the path ahead, and I'm okay with that. Could You turn on the highbeams for a little while? Things are a bit tricky right now and I feel as though it would help me to keep myself on the right path. I promise You that I will follow the directions You give to me because I trust You. Thank You for all that You have done for me so far, and Thank You in advance for the abundance that You have promised to me. I Love You. Amen."

Here's the next step..... LISTEN!!! You have to learn how to turn off the chatter in your head, or you may not hear what God has to say. Here are some things I have found helpful....

Spend some time meditating

Focus on positive thoughts and self-talk instead of all the negative stuff- even if you have to "talk yourself up" inside your own head!

TURN OFF THE TV AND GO OUTSIDE

Go for a walk in the woods or go fishing (golf is good too)

Here's the tricky part....BELIEVE IT!!! When "coincidences" start happening around you that are leading you into a certain direction, almost without any input from yourself, you will know that God has been whispering into some ears on your behalf. DON'T HESITATE!!! God will give you many chances to follow the path, but each subsequent "sign" may be more difficult to see.

THANK HIM FOR THE NUDGE!!! And act on the directions He has given you. It might seem a little foreign at first, but the longer you stay on the path, the more it feels like HOME.