Before the "Aha!"

That moment when we hear the answers we've been pursuing from God. Or that "Aha" that seems to come out of nowhere and pivots our thinking. What's really going on in us and can we speed this process?

I’ve been reminded in several conversations, and in my own inner journey this week, that our understanding unfolds. Even in those moments when we have a seemingly sudden epiphany or “Aha!” realisation, there’s been processing going on under the surface within us. Not only that, but we’re not islands - as much as we like to think that we’re seeking wisdom or understanding for ourselves, our lives are interconnected with others and the world around us. So as understanding unfolds, there is also movement in others and the communities and workplaces we interact in.

Welcome to this week’s Weekending Well audio and article! I’m Andrea Urquhart, founder and host of the Strengthen community here on Substack. Whether you’re new here or a regular returner, I do hope you find encouragement and a gentle nudge as you listen or read today.

Do you ever get frustrated, waiting for understanding from God or trying to work out answers to things in your life by yourself? You know, those times when you know you haven’t quite got the full picture and things feel a bit puzzling. I do. I see from one perspective when I wish I could see with a fully panoramic, birds eye view because I know that something is just missing in my understanding. That missing piece.

At other times, it’s like something just pings in my brain with that “Aha!” and a connection is made. Maybe as I’m thinking about something, or when I’m reading, listening or watching a video. Sometimes that “Aha!” happens in the shower, when I’m out for a walk or hoovering.

How about you? Do you ever wonder why we’re longing for answers sometimes - and actively seeking them - but they feel out of reach? And do you experience those seemingly out of the blue “Aha!” moments too?

As a coach, my study of neuroscience and neuroplasticity helps me understand that even the thunderbolt “Aha!” has a runway that’s leads to it. Inside our mind, connections have been taking place and laying the foundation for our seeking brain to uncover the answer. I see God in this too. As a Christian living in that one, life-long conversation with God, I see how he unfolds and uncovers those missing pieces I long for. 

Gently, God draws us to him with loving kindness. I see that kindness as he opens the eyes of my understanding about spiritual things and the day-to-day attitudes I have in life. I notice it as he leads me through the research I do, adding one realisation upon another as my understanding in something gets clearer and clearer.

I notice this with others too. When we’re hungry for the answer for something, we’re not always ready for it. Perhaps we’re not ready to respond to it, so even though we are hearing it in different ways, it’s just not landing in our mind in a way that we realise “This is it!”. At other times, we know that responding to it is way harder than we would want, and so we push away the most effective and constructive thing we could do in the circumstances and hope for something we feel more comfortable with to come to us as an idea or word.

Courage, creativity and humility are key characteristics and attitudes for us when we’re thirsting for direction or to understand something more fully. I invite you to remember that the next time you’re laser focused on simply getting to “the answer”!

Let’s talk about those now.

Courage is about bravery and facing things that we fear. Why is this part of our understanding unfolding about things? I notice, in myself and others, that when we first start seeking answers, we automatically block some of the potential ones out. This is because we make assumptions - sweeping subconscious and overt ways of thinking - about different potential actions and our ability to do them.

We do this because we’re not ready to consider the possibility that part of the answer we’re seeking will require courage from us to respond, interact, instil and embed something in our lives. Sometimes, the process for us is that we need time for our courage to build.

Courage grows through a lot of different stimuli. This could be affirmation, self-recognition, the encouragement and endorsement of others. It could simply be that over time, we know and understand in a little more depth that an answer that previously made us feel like we weren’t up to that, may actually be something that we now feel ready for.

Creativity is a key to being open to new ideas and finding solutions. This is a well-researched link. Thinking out of the box requires creativity. Creativity as an action can also help us become absorbed in a state of “flow” when we’re focusing on something and while we’re creating, our mind is open to new possibilities. That lightbulb ping can also come when we’re exercising and giving ourselves a break from the pressure of coming up with a solution on the spot. 

Again, I see this in my own walk with God too. In a relaxed state of flow, I’m more open in conversation with him to hearing him, and more relaxed about exploring possibilities. Creativity allows us to explore “Could this really be…”. And when we work these things out with God, there is encouragement and wisdom that comes with that.

In truth, I now see it is an exciting adventure to linger in a season of working things through rather than trying to race through it! This is because I’m learning to lean into the journey as I catch up with the possibilities, my mind turning things over and my courage rising. 

How about you? Do you expect immediate answers and understanding? Or have you also learnt that the unfolding in those times of waiting is often as much a process of losing layers of misconceptions or self-unbelief as we actually become more ready ourselves for the answer, as it is about gaining new understanding?

This is where humility comes in. When we are frustrated that we don’t have the next step figured out or we feel we’re waiting for God to get on and speak with us, are we actually assuming that we are ready for the next step or answer? There’s a thought.

There is something that I call high growth humility. This is not humility that tells us that we’re not and we can’t, so we should stay small. No. This is humility that understands that we are lifelong learners and there is always something more to add to our understanding. 

High growth and active humility will ask: What am I missing here? Active humility is on the lookout, not necessarily for the answer all in one package, but for the trail, the pieces, the unfolding of our understanding because it knows that our readiness evolves.

When we combine these three, the growing of courage, the creative process and active humility, we become more open in the process of waiting and seeking. These attitudes and activities are simply gentle ways of being that all help build a runway for those “Aha!” moments.

So, if you’re in a season of searching for a specific answer, waiting for guidance or feeling like there’s a piece missing in how you’re thinking about things, don’t sweat it. Don’t get stressed. Allow the answers to unfold as you explore possibilities. As we do this, our approach and understanding develops until we are ready to hear and respond to those missing piece answers and directions. 

More often than not now, when I’m looking for an answer, I will flip in an added question:

I need to know what to do about this…? What needs to change in my outlook for me to be ready to hear and respond to the best answer?

And I have to say that it’s getting to be quite an exciting way of approaching problem solving and seeking those “Aha!” moments. I see gentle growth in my own creativity, courage and humility.

I’ve also noticed that it’s not only me who benefits from the slowing and intentionality of leaning into this process. I see how others around me, and places that I work and interact in, are also undergoing the same unfolding of understanding and process. 

Timing, I heard someone once say, is everything. In relationships, in personal growth, in promotions and community life. The more I think about that, the more I recognise the truth in that. 

Whilst we’re proactive whilst we’re waiting for something, leaning into the unfolding of understanding and courage within us, others are also on their own journeys. We are all pieces in an interdependent puzzle, each interacting with the others. Sometimes we don’t fully understand or see everything until we see how what we know, and see as a possibility, fit together with what those around us are carrying. 

So, it’s also good to make peace with not always fully knowing or seeing everything before we take action.

How about you? Have you ever noticed that when you had an “Aha!” moment, you were really thirsty and ready for it? Did you ever stop and notice that something you’re responding to with courage now might have really made you recoil a few weeks, months or years ago when you weren’t as ready for it as you are now?

Here are those three attitudes we’ve talked about today again:

Courage, creativity and that high growth, active humility.

I find them really freeing because they are not fault finding, they are solution seeking. Certainly, when we adopt those attitudes, assumptions and blocks may well fall away. But that is not a result of focusing on what we’re doing wrong, it’s more a by-product of us leaning into discovering new perspectives and allowing the eyes of our understanding to be opened. 

As usual, there are some worship tracks linked below. I leave you with Ephesians 1: 17-19:

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Take care and have a great weekend and week ahead as you lean into allowing those runways of understanding to be built within your heart and thought processes and attitudes.

Our devotionals this coming week will continue digging deeper into the meaning of some of the commonly used names for Jesus. If you’d like to catch up with the Living Well podcast from this last week called “When life gives you lemons” click here (upgrade required).

As always, I so appreciate you joining me here. If you enjoyed listening in or reading this article each week, is there anyone else you know who you can invite to subscribe and join us too?

I look forward to welcoming you again next time!