Day 23, Vienna

I returned from Vienna late last night. The first thing the nine of us did was find the closest Starbucks. lol. Little comforts from home go a long way. While in Starbucks I struck up a conversation with a guy that sat at a table next to mine. We talked a little bit about the city and where he was from. I asked for his e-mail address so I could contact him in the future and noticed a small tattoo of the Masons on his wrist. I asked him about it and we talked a little bit about religion and the Masons. He seems like an open guy, and I think I will continue to talk to him....

My trainride home was an interesting one. I had 2hr 45min to spend on the train, and I knew most of the people would be sleeping, so I decided to separate myself from the group and really seek the Lord for that time. I went to the dining cabin (which was really nice and very quiet since no one else was there), ordered a drink, and began to record in my journal all that had happened that day. I had expectations for this time. I stopped writing, and began to pray. I prayed for about an hour, and then stopped and listened for His voice for about 20 minutes.....and heard nothing. I prayed again that whatever was standing in-between me and Him would be removed so I could hear Him, and still nothing.

Confused, I wondered what it would take to hear God. I looked up and saw a book I have been reading through, Is That Really You God? by Loren Cunningham sitting on the table infront of me. The subtitle said "Hearing the Voice of God". Sparked with interest, I opened up the book and picked up where I had left off, hoping that it wasn't a coincidence that I happened to have this book infront of me during a time when I was trying to hear the Lord. After reading for a while....nothing. I heard nothing....

Frustrated, I decided to go another route, I stopped praying and reading the book and remembered that sometimes God speaks to us through His word. I prayed a short prayer that He would speak to me through His word as I read, then opened my Bible and began slowly reading through Romans 12-15. Afterwards, still I heard nothing..... Our arrival in Budapest was approaching, and I paid the server on my way back to my cabin. I was a little disappointed, but still determined to hear Him.

When we got home late at night, I hopped on my laptop and read a couple e-mails. I heard three knocks on the glass door next to me....but no one was there, and my roommate didnt hear anything. I shrugged it off, but then immediately thought, "What if that was God trying to get your attention." I stood up and walked out into the freezing weather in my t-shirt and bare feet, i look around for a second and then walked about 15 meters towards the back of the yard, kneeled down, and listened...hoping to hear Him. After about a minute of silence, I heard a car horn sound twice on the other side of the house, thinking this could possibly be the Lord trying to get my attention again I hurried around the other side of the house to find.......nothing at all. Feeling a little awkward and confused I walked back in to my computer, shut it down and went to bed, wondering why I had done all that.

As I sit here this morning, looking back at the events last night, I think God is beginning to show me how hungry I am to hear His word and guidance, and how sometimes I will need to step out into the "illogical" places and situations to hear Him. I think there is more to the events last night that God will show me. I have this feeling that I just went through a training phase, and God is preparing me for something that I have no knowledge about yet.....

I'm going to get my day started here, and do some homework that is due tonight. Hopefully I can get back here and tell you all more about the time in Vienna, and possibly an overview of what I learned this week.