Jen Geigle Johnson: What to do When God is Silent

Stories of Hope in Hard Times

After being hospitalized for COVID Jen found she had a hard time thinking clearly and even discerning God’s presence. She pressed forward in faith despite difficult challenges and found a powerful answer.

Episode Discussion Points

• How she spent a few summers kayaking along the Thames.
• How her author job and keeping up with her six children keeps her busy.
• How her really bad case of COVID changed her body and triggered an abnormally high cortisol/high stress response in her body.
• An experience in the hospital while she had the fuzzy brain COVID stuff and she felt alone and far from God.
• “it takes mental concentration to receive revelation that’s like truth or thought.”
• She couldn’t pray long prayers when she was brain fuzzy at the hospital, so she leaned on her husband (via text) to help her pray and discern what she should be doing.
• Even when she couldn’t feel God at that point, she knew He was there.
• How she had people praying for her during her daughter’s weddings to have a “bubble of the Spirit” around her when she wasn’t functioning 100%
• Her answer from God—“Just focus on the Joy”
• Sometimes God places you in situations where you can’t do it on your own, so He will reach you in the way you need to be reached. God keep trying.
• "When you’re perfectly healthy, you can handle a lot, but when your not, you need to become more aware of how these things are effecting your whole body makeup.”
• She has now experienced social anxiety and has a lot more empathy
• How sometimes prayer, scriptures study don’t work the way we want—we need to tack on “keep going even when you don’t feel the help or answers” with the hope that God will answer/help eventually.
• “God will reach you but it may be in the way you aren’t expecting.
• Look for the joy and see the miracles that might not be super-obvious.
• Look for the little whisper of inspiration from God which may change your perspective when things aren’t getting fixed.
• You can’t really measure the value of someone’s love…empathy…hard times.”
• We accumulate knowledge and experiences which help us become more.
• How Jesus Christ has perfect empathy for each of us. “Christ’s empathy is emboldened because He knows all of our stories.”
• Take time to hear people and their stories.
• We all want to know we are making a difference—even when you can’t feel Him.

Tips for Reducing Stress

• Support network--Ask for help—people to be your “pray-ers”
• Talk to you family and friends about the emotions you are processing so that they can help how they can.
• Name emotions and process them with God’s help
• Positive Mantras--Focus on the Joy
• Be okay slowing down during crisis
• Meditation/Prayer/Scripture Study—way to receive revelation (because you are quieting distractions).
• Calm body, focus on breathing
• Watch what thoughts enter a quiet mind—push out the pointless worries and instead focus on positive things.
• “Nope. I’m only thinking about breathing right now.”
• “Think about a joyful time.”—these are often the things that mean the most too us—the personal interactions (children, friends)

Favorite Bible Verse

• Genesis 39 “And the Lord was with Joseph.” (even though Joseph was sold into slavery, and plus in prison.)
• God is with us in the details of our lives—throughout the hard times.
• Sometimes God’s purposes can’t be seen for a long time.

Connect with Jen

• JenGeigleJohnson.com
• Buy physical copies of her books at Deseret Book or Seagull Book
• Social Media @JenGeigleJohnson

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Transcription

You can find the transcription of today's episode here: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/podcasts/jen-geigle-johnson-what-to-do-when-god-is-silent