I remember a time when I thought a prompting from the Holy Ghost really only answered a gospel question or warned someone of danger. It’s been fun to discover that the Holy Ghost will guide and direct us in every aspect of our lives. Learning how the Holy Ghost speaks to me has been an absolute gift.

Preparing My Mind to Receive the Prompting

After enjoying an amazing time in Utah for my sister’s wedding and extra time with family, Mom and Dad took me to the airport to return home.

My return trip looked like this: 11:24 a.m., leave Salt Lake City, arrive in San Diego at 12:23 p.m. 1:05 p.m., leave San Diego, arrive in Los Angeles at 2:02 pm. 4:05 p.m., leave Los Angeles, arrive in Honolulu at 8:20 p.m.

The short connection between the San Diego and Los Angeles flights surprised me, but I figured it must be doable since it was the option selected by the airlines for my flight. However, when I checked the gates prior to leaving, I realized I’d need to change terminals, too. Stress began to rise.  There were still so many unknown factors.

I’ve only missed a couple of flights in all my years of travel, so I feel generally confident at making connections, but this hung in the back of my mind. I decided to choose to remain calm.

The previous weekend I’d heard a statement that really impacted me:  “Impatience shows your belief that what you want is not going to happen.”

I feel impatient when portions of my plan are out of my control. This comment really struck me and I pondered it a lot (and am still pondering it).

I had a chance to test my impatience versus faith beliefs on the drive to the airport. I kept that saying in my mind. It actually held the anxiety and worry at bay!

I kept that statement in mind when the TSA line seemed a mile long and when folks in front of me seemed startled by the requirement to remove shoes, coats, and iPads. Throughout the process, I felt calm and respectful.

I believed that what I wanted would happen, so no need to feel impatient. I realized later that this thought process was a constant prompting flow by the Holy Ghost to keep me in a peaceful, non-agitated state so I could receive the most important direction of the day.

Receiving The Prompting

I arrived at my gate as folks were pre-boarding. As I found a seat and was about to sit down, I heard an overhead announcement that the flight was oversold and they needed three people to take a later flight.

That announcement felt highlighted in my mind and I felt like I should immediately go ask about it even though I had three flights that day and wanted to get home that night. I walked to the counter and said I was available to take a different flight if there were other options.

The woman said the next available flight would leave at 5:40 p.m. and arrive in San Diego at 6:40 p.m. I thanked her for the information and said I was trying to get to Honolulu that day.

Instead of stopping her rapid keystrokes, they continued. Another lady at another counter who I hadn’t even noticed involved in my conversation at all said something. She was rapidly typing, too.

The first called another gate to see if they had seats on their flight to Los Angeles.

Yes, they had one seat.

She asked if I’d take the flight to LAX, bypassing San Diego. I said sure. She told me to rush to gate C3 (from C12) because they were boarding that flight to LAX at that moment.

It was 10:45 a.m. The flight’s departure time was 11:05 a.m.

I made it down the terminal quickly and waited behind one woman with a problem the gate agent was trying to answer with someone else on the phone.

“Impatience is…..”

The pre-boards and premiums had already boarded.

I stood in limbo without confirmation on the new flight and with my other flight suspended.

The woman stepped away from the counter and I stepped up and handed over my ID with a one-sentence explanation. He expected my arrival. But then he couldn’t update my itinerary! He called for help as Boarding Group 1 boarded.

I felt such peace. It was incredible.  Instead of feeling freaked out, I saw the man helping me. He was good-natured and smiled. He had no idea how to manage my itinerary change, but managed his stress and maintained his polite demeanor. Time stood still as everyone rushed and bustled around us.

We had a delightful little short conversation and he accepted my compliments and thanks as he handed me my new boarding passes. Without mentioning it, he bumped up my boarding group on the Honolulu flight to Group 1.

I took my boarding passes and boarded the plane at 11:00 a.m.

The one remaining seat was an aisle seat.

My new flights looked like this:  11:05 a.m., leave Salt Lake City, arrive in Los Angeles at 11:23 p.m. 4:05 p.m., leave Los Angeles, arrive in Honolulu at 8:20 p.m.

At 11:05 a.m., the airplane doors closed.

At 11:24 a.m. (my original flight’s scheduled departure), we still sat on the tarmac because of some congestion the airport experienced. At 11:38 am, we lifted off.

As the time on the tarmac ticked by, I realized my original flight’s buffer would have also deteriorated. I would have felt such stress and felt like I would have probably missed both flights.

But my circumstances had changed because I believed that what I wanted would happen and I followed a small prompting to do something I very rarely do. That direct flight to LAX was a gigantic miracle to me!

I celebrated and praised God! My heart bursted with gratitude as we sat on the tarmac with time ticking away, but not jeopardizing my return flight home.

Hearken and Hear, The Lord Delights to Bless

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“Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me…” (Doctrine and Covenants 41:1).

So besides the flight change being super awesome for me, was it any big deal?

President Russell M. Nelson’s admonition to recognize and heed the voice of the Holy Ghost caused me to strengthen my relationship with the Holy Ghost and Deity. I prayed to be guided and directed by the Holy Ghost. I also committed to following any direction given.

I don’t feel like the Holy Ghost’s promptings are idle games or superfluous tasks. The Lord really will direct my path for good and with abundant blessings! He really will direct your path!

Promptings of the Holy Ghost are personal commandments. When given, the Lord expects me to obey.

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:

And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day…” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).

I can clearly see the blessing and curse associated with the prompting to approach the gate agent when she announced the oversold flight. This example simply demonstrates that cause and effect, the potential blessing or curse, of following the Holy Ghost’s promptings. Often I don’t see the blessings and curses so easily.

The principle and pattern were certainly easily discernible as I sat comfortably in LAX studying my scriptures about Lehi’s witness of how the Lord blessed him and his family because they heard and hearkened to divine promptings. I felt the prompting. I acted. The Lord blessed me. And then He prompted me to share the story. So I am.

Related posts:

Throwing Stones and Shooting Arrows at the Wall The Dream of the Mango Spoiled by Procrastination Am I Plugged Into the Source? The Holy Ghost’s Whisperings Will Guide During Troubled Times