“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)
That “voice behind us” sounds like a description of intuition or a gut feeling, which is the ability to acquire knowledge without conscious reasoning. Everyone has made an intuitive decision at some time, and later learned that their gut feeling was absolutely correct. We don’t hear an audible voice with a gut feeling. It’s just a divine sense of direction and guidance, that comes from somewhere within us or behind us, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”
There are times when we need to make an informed decision, despite having limited information, so we ask God for guidance. The Lord might be moving us into new territory, whether it’s a new job, a new church, a new neighborhood, a school, or a different Nursing Home.
A situation can lead us to sense that it’s time to move on, that we are subtly being redirected elsewhere. It begins with a growing feeling of disconnect in the place we’re at, which may be God’s way of signaling a change. I’ve learned that when I ask God to give me a gut feeling to confirm some type of change, He will give it.
A few negative experiences involving the leadership at the Nursing Home where Jon lives, have caused me to sense a disconnect in how the management interacts with families of residents. I began to wonder if there might be another place, where he could make better progress, and be closer to where I live, so I started praying and searching for Nursing Facilities closer to my home.
I took the first step of touring three facilities close to my home. Every Nursing Home puts on their best impression when they give tours, so I asked God to give me a gut feeling to confirm which place is really the best for Jon.
My first tour was at a beautiful three story facility, only ten minutes from my home. I was told that long term care residents live on the 3rd floor, but for some unknown reason, they only showed me the first and second floors on the tour. Without asking why, it left me with some doubt.
The next facility I toured was fifteen minutes from my home, but I sat in the lobby waiting twenty minutes until the director could take me on the tour. She seemed very distracted, repeating the same question but not listening to my answer. Afterward, I learned they have a waiting list for all new admissions.
The third place was twenty minutes from my home. I walked into a clean, attractive and spacious lobby and was immediately greeted by a friendly receptionist offering me water at the beverage station. The admissions director took me on a tour and showed me the actual room that could be Jon’s, with a private bathroom, at no extra cost, and there was no waiting list.
Not knowing enough about the quality of caregivers working at any of these three facilities, can make a decision like this very stressful and intimidating. I had to rely on that gut feeling, and from the moment I walked into the third facility, I felt a different vibe than the previous two places. After leaving, I realized that this vibe is the gut feeling that I asked God for.
The interesting thing about the third facility is that fifteen years ago, I had a patient in the hospital where I worked, who told me her husband received very good care at this particular facility. For years I made a mental note of “BellaTerra”, the name of the place, in case I ever needed it for a family member. I never dreamed that I would need it for my adult son.
In spite an impressive tour, my decision is not based on a friendly receptionist, a fifteen year old referral, or a nice room with a private bath. Nothing but that gut feeling is the inspiration for making my decision. I asked, God answered, and I believe it is the right move for Jon.
Jon might get transferred in a week or so, but I plan to continue visiting the friends I made at the other NH once a week. I would like to maintain the friendships with those few residents I’ve come to know.
If we ask God for a gut feeling to make difficult decisions, He will do it. He is forever the voice behind us whispering deep within, telling us the right way to go.
Lord, thank you for divine guidance, intuition and gut feelings, that guide us beyond all knowledge. If we ask and listen for your voice behind us, you will tell us the right way to go. Amen
