I intended to write a blog earlier this week, but it wasn’t happening. A multitude of ideas bounced in my head yet none of them felt right. With every little thing causing a distraction, the flow of my creativity came to a halt. It wasn’t the first time I’ve struggled with how to find inspiration (and I’m sure it won’t be the last). When the imaginative spring runs dry, what can I do to open the floodgates once more?
Now I will make one premise clear right from the start. I believe God is the source of my creative inspiration. In the beginning, God created and still creates today through His people. If this bothers you—stop reading. This post isn’t for you. But if you find this tenet true in your own life (or if you’re just curious) then see whether my thoughts resonate in your heart.
Over the years, I’ve lost count how often a thought pops in my mind out of nowhere. It’s amazing really. The idea has nothing to do with what’s going on at the moment but suddenly it’s there. Like the other morning when a preface for my novel, The Dream Chaser, came to mind as I was waking. A whole paragraph, word for word, perfectly crafted for the story. I had to write it down quickly lest I forget it. You can explain this odd occurrence as happenstance or somehow composed in the recesses of my own brain, but I credit it to God. I find it too unlikely to come simply from myself.
These thoughts “out of the blue” are one of the ways God communicates with me through His Spirit. At other times, it’s a wise word from another person, an enlightening passage of scripture, or an unexpected gift from someone that lets me know God is with me. The promised Holy Spirit is a source of comfort and a means to find inspiration. This is true for me as well as anyone willing to invite Him into their lives.
If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!
The words of Jesus to his disciples. John 14:15-17 Message Bible
The presence of this promised One is a wonderful gift from the Father. Yet there are definitely times when God seems silent and I struggle to hear His voice. I often wonder if it’s more that I’m not listening rather than Him not speaking. There’s so much in the world to distract me from paying attention to God as well as others in my life. I let myself spend way too much time on my phone on a daily basis. It annoys my husband to no end and certainly inhibits deeper intimacy with him and with God.
To fully enjoy relationships, one must nurture them. Limiting distractions and choosing to listen are imperatives we must not ignore. But joining in what that other person is doing is just as important. There’s not much better way to understand another than to work together side by side. The same applies to God.
Several years ago, my church did a study called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. One concept stood out for me that I’ll never forget. Discover where God is already at work and join Him. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it. If you don’t know God’s will for your life or you don’t feel Him calling you to anything specific, join others in their work for God. By doing God’s work that’s already started, you’ll grow closer to Him. You’ll hear His voice more clearly and often He’ll reveal where He ultimately wants you to be.
Watch to see where God is working and join Him in His work.
We don’t choose what we will do for God. He invites us to join Him where He wants to involve us.
Quotes from Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
This concept was reinforced early in my medical practice by a powerful personal experience. What started as a speech by a local cardiologist at our monthly Family Medicine section meeting became a turning point in my career, moving me in an unforeseen direction. When he asked for volunteers to see homeless patients at the Gennesaret Free Clinic, I felt God nudging me to say yes. Going to downtown Indianapolis by myself to work with the homeless was definitely out of my comfort zone. But the Spirit’s prodding was unrelenting, so I signed up that night to join in His work.
That assignment prepared me for much bigger jobs later on like medical missions to Haiti and Ecuador. One baby step close to home showed me how to find inspiration and passion for all that God had in store for me. In turn, this has led me overseas to great adventures and friendships I never would have imagined on my own.
So, I offer these examples of how God has spoken in my life and helped me find inspiration as an encouragement to you—my readers. Even though at times the spring of my imagination seems to run dry and I struggle to hear God’s voice, it doesn’t mean they’re gone. Just as the natural spring behind my house flows unseen beneath the ground, God continues to call to me and you in the silence. Listen intently while eliminating distractions. Pray for inspiration. And join God where you see Him already working.
How to find inspiration when the spring runs dry? One simple act of obedience has always opened the floodgates for me in the past as I’m sure it will in the future. What is the still small voice of the Spirit asking of you right now? Can you find a way in your heart to step out of your comfort zone and do it?
Photos courtesy of Canva and my own collection.
