"On Nudgels"

Upon awakening this morning, before my eyes had even opened, the nudgel was in my mind.  I have an appointment with an editor today; she has been reviewing some of my writing.  She is also one with whom I shared my musical enterprise, that of returning to the piano after half a lifetime.  I had not thought of it before, but I will give her a CD I had made of a compilation of several compositions.  

My life, my world is filled with these, and I love them.  As soft as butterfly wings, yet as persistent as true grit, they will not be ignored.  I would have to deliberately reject them, and that I do not want to do.  They might be the result of a "What to do, what to do?" outcry or, as this morning, something I've not considered before.  I have learned to recognize this as the hand of my Creator in my life, His "still, small voice."  Unlike other thoughts, a process of critical thinking, they come from a deeper place within.

In searching for a descriptive term, I have always come up empty--until now.  The word nudgel does not exist in our English language. However, in the same way certain nicknames suit individuals, fitting like a glove, I feel it is apt; it even makes sense.

nudgel:  an experience of direction, guidance, insight, knowledge; understanding imparted within from God, without words; knowing something never known before  

This past week I was at a client's home, one who is away for some time.  While cleaning, I opened up a window to let some fresh air in.  "Note to self," I thought, "make sure the window is shut before leaving."  I finished and had gone on to another job when the nudgel presented itself.  Had I closed that window or not?  Upon returning I discovered that I had, indeed, left it open.  Some will say such happenings have nothing to do with God, that it is just the way our mind works, reminding us.  I understand that reasoning, that position, but I disagree.  

I don't know other's lives.  I only know mine, but I suspect you have each had your own nudgels over the course of your life, those experiences or thoughts that are beyond your own mind, your own thinking--reminders or, simply, "knowing."  

It seems there is an unwillingness to identify them as spiritual. Called "luck, a gut feeling, intuition, instinct, sixth sense," there is a reluctance to identify them as spiritual, a hesitancy on the part of man to correlate God to one's personal life.  Perhaps that idea has never been a consideration before so it isn't a part of man's perspective.

This much I know:  He is present, He is a factor.  And we can call that whatever we like, whatever we are comfortable with and whatever suits us, but that still does not alter the truth.  Mankind is fortunate that He cares, and we are fortunate that He places nudgels within--if we just pay attention.    

By the way, I need to get that CD out of the closet now.

"A rose by any other name is still a rose."  And so it is with God.