Matthew Study 13:52

"... every scribe instructed concerning the Kingdom... is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and things old..."

The absolute key to flowing in the grace of the Holy Spirit is being prophetic and incarnational in the situation at hand. When a Saint has learned that, the world will begin to notice God.

Some Saints live so much in the moment they have unintentionally discarded their Sacred History. (But God was in the moment back then and just as significant then as he is today!) Others hold on to the spiritual mountain-tops of their past with such fervency that they are blinded to the wondrous revelation of the Present Day.

But Jesus likens us - my dear Scribes of the Kingdom - to a chef who runs her fingers across the spice rack, seeking the perfect ingredient for the meal at hand. Each event demands a fresh, Living Encounter. A wise person will remember, will choose appropriately, the perfect treasure for the occasion at hand, whether it be something from thirty years ago or something she is being led to do for the first time.

How do you choose? You may say, "I have so many treasures to bring out - all of which seem good for this occasion!"  The Holy Spirit is the Highlighter and reveals the exact need for any given situation. He will bring to your mind a certain memory, or not.

I can easily come up with many ways to address a situation. But that would be "me." That's not where we want to be.

As God calls us into situations which demand our response or action we need to remember how Jesus did it. He could have chose many ways to speak, many methods of healing the sick, but his priority to do "only what he saw the Father doing" was his Life's Mission. When he encountered a situation which demanded his input he had a built-in default mode. He asked God what to do.

"What are you doing here, Father? Should I heal this person like the last person - or is there something else you're doing, something else which would speak a keen awareness of your Love into this person?"

The next time you walk into a situation and are fairly certain you have acquired the expertise to deal with it in a timely and expedient manner take a step back and consider: how can the Spirit use your Sacred Experience in this particular situation? What would be the best way - your Way - to dialogue with this?

You may have your ideas. But he always has his!