Sandy Kovach [00:00:02]:
Sometimes we're in a place in our life where we would really love for God to give us some direction, but we're not necessarily hearing anything. There are many ways that God can speak to us, of course, through his Word, through a message we might hear, through a friend. He may speak to our hearts. In this episode, we have some personal experiences to share, and we hope this will give you some perspective if you're waiting for a word from God. Welcome to Imagine Yourself podcast where we help you imagine the next chapter of life with grace, gratitude, courage, and faith.
Lanée Blaise [00:00:38]:
Hello, everyone. Welcome to Imagine Yourself. I'm Lanee here with Sandy. And today, we wanted to talk about something that really can be heartwarming or heartbreaking depending on the person's circumstances. But we want to talk about whenever we find ourselves in that space where we are waiting for an answer, Where we're we have a problem. We have a situation. We have a dilemma. We have something that even though it requires patience, What we really want even more than the solution is we want some kind of answer from God to know about.
Lanée Blaise [00:01:20]:
We wanna sign. We wanna sign. We wanna know. It's fine. No. We wanna know. We wanna know what What should we do? Which direction should we go? Should we go to the right or to the left? We want an answer from God. We just wanted to talk about that and give some examples of when God has truly shown up In magnificent ways.
Lanée Blaise [00:01:46]:
And so I'm really gonna open the mic for Sandy to just Jump right in because something beautiful and divine happened very recently.
Sandy Kovach [00:01:58]:
Yeah. I mean, and it was more of just assurance from God. It wasn't like a big miracle, like something in my life circumstance changed, but it was what we were talking about, like a sign, like assurance, and in a very cool way. You know, in other podcasts, I know I've said that I was confused about hearing from God. confused isn't the word. I've heard from you and a lot of guests about different ways that God has spoken to them, And it really hasn't been the case for me, but I had a dream, not too long ago. And I'll preface that by saying My son has moved out, you know, it's been over a year now. And, you know, he's a young adult.
Sandy Kovach [00:02:41]:
He plays in a band, and I know he's in a clubs and different stuff a lot of times. And I remember how it used to be back in the day when I was well, I wasn't in a band, but I was certainly in clubs. And he is a lot different than I was, but I can just remember some of the things that I did wneh I went through that, led to bad decisions and circumstances and all the things. So I was starting to kinda worry about Joe. And I think it was because I saw a picture of something of him playing in a club, and he wasn't doing anything. It was just I had that flashback, like, oh my gosh.
Lanée Blaise [00:03:14]:
And that mother part kicked in too
Sandy Kovach [00:03:17]:
And so a couple of nights later, I had a dream that I was in heaven, and it was weird because it was in, like, a suburban house that I'd never been in, but it was familiar for whatever reason, I knew it was heaven. And then Joe was there. And so I was like, okay. Joe's here. And then I said, Joe, I wonder if Hannah, our cat is here. You know, people always say that Dogs and cats go to heaven and, you know, we always kinda like to say, we hope God has them for us when we get there, but nobody really knows.
Sandy Kovach [00:03:50]:
But it's weird because Hannah was she was our 1st cat, but she wasn't like our most, filled with personality cat. It wouldn't be, the top of mind cat that I would think about. So apparently, Hannah was there, and I also got to talk to Jesus, and that was very comforting. And it was, He was not like we see a picture of him in the Bible with long hair and, and a robe. He was in contemporary clothes. He was about 35 years old, light skinned Black guy, never seen him before. And then so I couldn't really figure it out.
Sandy Kovach [00:04:26]:
So he was relatable. He was contemporary, and he made me feel very comfortable. And although I don't remember specifically what I asked him in the dream, like, People would think, yeah, if I ever got to talk to Jesus, I would ask him x, y, and z. And I don't remember, you know how dreams are. So you remember some stuff, you don't remember others. But I just remember that it was very comforting and that I I woke up the next day, tried to figure this out, and I opened well, you would think I would open my Bible. My Bible's on my phone. Right? But so I just googled Hannah and the Bible.
Sandy Kovach [00:05:01]:
And the first thing that popped up was some kind of a blog that was saying something about how, you know, Hannah can teach us a lot about leaving our children in the hands of God and just handing it over to him, not worrying about it. Now in the Bible, literally, and I did look up the scripture again. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who prayed for a son and she dedicated him to God. So it wasn't quite exactly like that, but what it made me feel like was that God was taking care of Joe, that I Just put him in God's sovereign hands. I don't have to worry about it. I mean, of course, you know, we're moms and
Lanée Blaise [00:05:40]:
mothers always worry some, but there's but this is still A peace, I bet. A calm. Some type of answer.
Sandy Kovach [00:05:48]:
Yeah. And it was cool because I just really felt that God was communicating something to me that was so important. So again, it wasn't some huge miracle, and you wouldn't see me one day before it happened and the next day after it happened and go, wow, something's changed. But something had really changed inside of me.
Lanée Blaise [00:06:05]:
But, Sandy, it spreads, and it is actually more of a miracle than maybe you're understanding. Because to be fair, you had told me about the dream shortly after it happened. Maybe like the next couple days after. And I have not been able to stop thinking about it From the perspective of a person who did kind of have a concern that God isn't really talking to me, you know, on a regular basis, like many other people, like you said, some of the podcast guests that we've had on who God says specific things while they're awake. You know? Mhmm. This was just special because I truly believe that it was God coming to you in a way That was more palatable to you. A way that you wouldn't have any cynicism or or and you don't have to remember all the details, But you know the effect, the power that you were sitting with Jesus and that he was contemporary, that he is Doing things that many people say that Jesus will come meet you where you are. Not the Jesus of 2000 years ago with, like you said, the robes and the long hair, But a more contemporary version, but you still knew it was Him.
Lanée Blaise [00:07:25]:
And he did answer questions for you, and he did comfort you. And the part about These kids of ours, Sandy. So many people, myself included, we listen to This podcast and and others, and we go through our day, but we many of us who have children, or even nieces or nephews or godchildren, We think about them. We pray about them. We sometimes worry about the way their decision making is going, the way their lives are going. Even if they're not doing anything wrong, We did we just have that concern. And when you have it that Jesus is reminding you to go back to the bible and look at Hannah and how she literally dedicated her son. That she wanted so badly, but she literally dedicated her son to God and put him in the church in a way that he could end up influencing, you know, people for for many, many centuries.
Lanée Blaise [00:08:24]:
It's beautiful. It is a miracle.
Sandy Kovach [00:08:27]:
I guess in in a way, it is because it does 2 things. It can provide comfort that God can directly and in different ways for whatever way is comfortable for the person, whether it be in a dream, apparently, that was how I needed to hear. Because I I just I feel like when people say, and then God said to me and I know they're talking about speaking something to their heart. I know they most folks are not hearing God's voice echoing out loud, but I just feel a little woo woo about that. Like, I don't know. Maybe because of different theologies or who knows? So God speaking to me in a dream, I mean, it was so directly about Jesus, and it was about heaven, and it was about My son's security, and it had references to the Bible and all different things that were in it. And it wasn't just some abstract thing where I said, oh, I I bet this was about so and so. Not that God can't do that.
Sandy Kovach [00:09:26]:
I mean, God can speak in however He wants, and people can understand it however they want, but this was the one. But I needed it, like, delivered in in the way. And I need the next day, when I was looking up of the stuff about Hannah, and I was opening up my, my bible and my smartphone, it was almost as powerful as just the dream itself.
Lanée Blaise [00:09:47]:
That's what yes. Sandy, there are so many people that I know who are waiting to Have any type of wonderful experience, direct experience with God. They are waiting for That, you know, god spoke to me in my heart, and this is what he said. Just to know that there are so many different customized ways that God can accomplish that. I hope and believe is very encouraging. I may have mentioned this in another podcast before, but I have a friend who God has never, to my knowledge, spoken words in her heart, direct words. But The imagery, like, especially when she's really down at her worst, and then she'll look and she'll find A rock that's in the shape of a heart. Not kinda in the shape of a heart, but really in the shape of a heart, just out on a pathway.
Lanée Blaise [00:10:50]:
Another time when she was really struggling with a situation with her daughter, and the pain was so great. And she was sitting in her car, sad. And, honestly, a white dove flew in and sat On flew in the window of her car and sat on the passenger's seat. Wow. And she felt like That calm. Like, oh my word. This is God. What dove flies and sits there just as calm as ever, Just enough for her to feel the calm and then gently exited the vehicle.
Lanée Blaise [00:11:32]:
So hers is through That visual physical life type of way that God is telling her all is well, you know, and then in some other people, certain scriptures will pop up. And then in yours with the dream, and there's so many ways. I I just feel like this season in life, Anybody who's waiting to hear a word from God, I just encourage them to either you can even listen back to the the episode that Kinda kick some of this off with us, Sandy. As far as there was an episode, we had a guest, Kelly Shelton. I don't remember the title exactly.
Sandy Kovach [00:12:07]:
It was, God, please speak to me. And it was Kelli Shelton from Seek Well Ministries. And that's when, You know, you were telling your stories, and Kelli was telling her stories. And we were hearing all about it, and I was saying, oh my gosh. Why doesn't this happen to me? And this was back in, June of 2022. So sometimes things take a while.
Lanée Blaise [00:12:29]:
Yeah. Because, Sandy, I Honestly, when you and I were talking about your dream, I happened to be at my mother's house. And before the dream, we were talking about that episode. But I have been praying to god that God would speak to you in some way. I never I never dreamed that it'd be a dream, but I was just Praying that God would speak to you and that you would know, you would have the clarity that it was God. But also the fact that I was at my mother's house was pretty telling because As I'd shared on that episode that we're talking about with Kelli Shelton, ever since I was 7 years old, God began Speaking things to my heart. I was very open and maybe the part, you know, 7 year olds might not have some of the obstacles or inhibitions or cynicism that adults might have. So I just I really wanted all I wanted was for God to talk to me.
Lanée Blaise [00:13:24]:
I just would Sit and wait and wait and wait for God. And God delivered. But my mother used to always say, you know, what did God say each time? And she really wanted god to talk to her also. Very she wanted to be very clear, very specific. Of course, not audibly, but in her heart. And it didn't happen for, like, till she was, like, 60 years old. You know? So this was I was 7 years old. This is just, I don't know.
Lanée Blaise [00:13:49]:
Older than me. Whatever. I don't know. So decades later. I'll put it that way.
Sandy Kovach [00:13:52]:
Yeah. Decades later.
Lanée Blaise [00:13:53]:
Decades later that she had to wait. And I don't know if it was because she wasn't As open to it, she kept thinking she could just ask, you know, other people who's who listened or spoke to God or listened for God. All I'm getting at is don't give up. That's what I'm really getting at. You know? Now she has this life Where she constantly asks God about big things and small things. What should I eat? Should I go do this today or not? Or should I do it a different day? And every time, she will get the answer, do it tomorrow instead of today. And then there's, like, some huge thunderstorm crazy that the day that she would have gone and she avoided it. Oh.
Lanée Blaise [00:14:35]:
I'm just saying that there's hope.
Sandy Kovach [00:14:37]:
I and it happens for different ways and in different time frequencies. And I will say I've had another or not another, but a few other dreams were And I don't remember them right now where they have been something I felt the comfort of me. Nothing at all like the first dream. It was more like kind of an indirect little thing because I think I feel like that's maybe how I'm comfortable, seeking God. But the other part of this too is and you prayed that God would speak to me. Right? Yes. Yes. Directly.
Sandy Kovach [00:15:11]:
That is the craziest I mean, that's another thing to emphasize right there. But you have to be open to it. And I feel like too, In seasons where I have had spiritual breakthroughs, be they hearing from god or just, you know, things happen spiritually in my life, They have been when I have been in prayer on a regular basis and reading scriptures. And lately what I've been doing is I've just wanted to know more about Jesus. I've been reading over the 4 gospels. And, you know, they're I've read them before, but not, like, sitting down and reading them as a story. And I'm going through them. A lot of people say read John first, but I'm going through the Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, like that.
Sandy Kovach [00:15:55]:
And, I mean, you get all of the juicy stuff, the sermon on the Mount, and the miracles, and, you know, and you learn about Jesus when he's not so happy like the money changers and
Lanée Blaise [00:16:06]:
Yes.
Sandy Kovach [00:16:07]:
There's so many different things in there. And I feel like God put Four gospels in or there are 4 gospels in our Bible. Right? And so it's like Women God repeats something, it's the most important thing. So the 4 Gospels I'm not saying the rest of the Bible is not Health. It is. But that's, you know, knowing Jesus and and reading the 4 Gospels, I would suggest to anyone who is just wanting to be closer to God or to look more to prayer or any of those things or to have more spiritual power in their life is to reach just read over the 4 gospels. I opened my smartphone. I used to say, oh my gosh.
Sandy Kovach [00:16:46]:
I can't Read it on my phone. I'll get too distracted. But that was just an impediment I was putting in my own way. Do it however, you know, whether it's on your phone or you open paper bible or you listen on an audio bible. Just make that commitment. And if you miss a day, you miss a day, but make that effort. And that's the other big part of the undercurrent of the big payoff, I feel like.
Lanée Blaise [00:17:08]:
Everything you're saying, Sandy, is I feel like we were meant to have this particular episode, and that it was meant to go this particular way only because In this case, it's if you're listening, it's it's about to be the start of the new year. And there's we just had an episode about, You know, when you're in a season of waiting, and if you have to wait for anything, waiting on the Lord is a beautiful situation to have to wait on. And when we share things like this, I believe it It brings us up. It brings us hope. It pulls us forward in ways that all of the negativity that swirls around that we can get ourselves caught up in in this world can be very Uplifting, and we need some light. We need some hope. We need some love. We need some encouragement To keep us strong in the midst of all the things.
Sandy Kovach [00:18:08]:
Those who wait upon the Lord will find new strength. That's one of my favorite, isn't that in Isaiah? I'm pointing it out of the Sandy translation.
Lanée Blaise [00:18:16]:
But that'll be our item for you and me and everyone listening to pull it up and just to to live with. Right? To live under the umbrella of positive hopeful scriptures like that because we need it. Yeah. When you're waiting you're waiting to hear from God, when you're waiting on answers truths that only God can give, a little disclaimer I will put out there too, just because from personal experience. There are many times that I'm like, God, I am curious about x, y, z, and I would like for you to please give me clarity on that. And then God will put an answer in my heart that has nothing to do with x, y, d, z. It has something to do with p q and r.
Lanée Blaise [00:19:04]:
And then I'll realize after the fact that p q and r was actually more of a priority in my life than I realized, and God was helping me get through that chunk of life before we ended up following back up later on x y z. I only say that because many times if that's the way your prayer life and your answers are going, that's maybe by design. That might really mean that you're on the right track, That you really are. God doesn't necessarily do things in a b c order to make it practical and efficient. God will many times do things in unexpected yet beautiful ways because God sees the whole picture and we don't.
Sandy Kovach [00:19:52]:
That's right. And we just can't come to him with our laundry list of questions. It's doesn't work like that.
Lanée Blaise [00:19:59]:
Yeah. Not like a genie.
Sandy Kovach [00:20:01]:
No. He's not Santa
Lanée Blaise [00:20:02]:
our our our servant. Yeah. Yeah. Or Santa.
Sandy Kovach [00:20:05]:
Yeah. Cosmic Santa. No. That's not God.
Lanée Blaise [00:20:08]:
No. So I just I hope this was helpful. Sandy, I thank you for sharing that dream. It was absolutely transformative in my life, and I hope that it's okay if I share with People I already have in my brain right now who I know are worried about situations with their kids mainly. Not that there's other there's people worry about things with their jobs and their health, but this particular one spoke so strongly to our kids that I wanna, It's okay with you. I'd like to pass this.
Sandy Kovach [00:20:44]:
we're sharing it to to everybody. So Yeah.
Lanée Blaise [00:20:47]:
We'll make sure they listen. But Yeah. But overall, we just want you to imagine yourself truly opening your heart to God, Letting God in in brand new ways that you may not have even thought or imagined before, But knowing that God is right there ready to step into your heart at a moment's notice and elevate your life, Your mind, your spirit, your body, your soul, your heart.
Sandy Kovach [00:21:18]:
Thanks for sharing these past few minutes with us. Hope you found it helpful. Drop us a line and let us know. Email us at Imagineyourselfpodcast.com. Hit us up on social media or leave a rating or review. You'll find all those links in the show notes. And until next time we have something new to imagine.
Sandy Kovach [00:21:37]:
Take care.