Article September 13, 2004 Issue

Pay attention!

When intuition keeps knocking, open the door.

By Jodie Swales

Believe me , we're not jet-setters. My husband and I were going to have to put our things in storage and quit our jobs in order to take this trip. But I'm a woman who loves to travel, and the thought of canceling a three-month trip to Europe with my husband and stepson seemed almost crazy. The trip was already planned: a visit to our friends in the Swiss Alps, a second honeymoon in Paris, a musical feast in Ireland. But as the deadline to pay for our tickets grew near, so did the nagging feeling that something just wasn't right.

I had always been a restless person, never content to stay in one spot for long. In fact, before I met my husband, I'd lived in over 50 different places. So the feeling that a trip wasn't a good idea was something I'd never experienced before. But I did know that it was important to listen to my intuition. From past experience I've learned that those little niggling feelings are actually God's guidance. So, I started to pray. "OK, God," I said, "What's all this about? Why am I feeling like this?"

The first thing I've learned about God, divine Love, is that She hardly ever answers me in a booming God-voice, as you see in those old-fashioned epic Bible movies—a voice that shakes the house. Instead, the way that Love communicates to me is through gentle, quiet thoughts.