Are you out there?
Perhaps it is because I became a pastor or perhaps because I have become more vocal about God that I see it. But it seems more people in my life are wondering how I find God in so many ways in my life. I posted the following quote on Facebook and got some varied responses:
“It is not possible that you could ever find yourself anywhere where God was not fully present, fully active, able and willing to set you free.” ~ Emmet Fox
One response was at least He should give us some privacy when we need it in the bathroom. Another boldly stated they where pagan and felt you could just as easily worship an acorn that grew into a mighty oak. And yet another one just didn’t buy into the whole God thing, they couldn’t see why people wasted their time. Now many people in my circles of friends and ministry would have been all over the debate that would follow. They would get the gauntlet thrown down and the hell fire and damnation rhetoric would flow quickly to protect both their ego’s and their mission.
Me I live more in the space of the quote above. I know God is everywhere. I feel, see, touch, and experience him daily. He is secure in His place of creator of the universe so I don’t have to defend Him or my belief in Him. He loves me and tells me to love those around me. So, strangely and maybe some what controversially I just trust Him to use me to bring people closer to Him with loving care. Just me, not my titles, not my intellect, not my knowledge or logic, He just asks me to love them and share my experiences of Him with others.
It is that experience of Him that I seek with everything I have because of what it does to me spiritually. I don’t question His existence because I have lived without faith and I know for me that is not a place of strength and fullness. It was a place that I relied on what the world had to find my spirit and satisfaction and it came up lacking. Do you know what real peace feels like? It is amazing! Do you know how it feels not to worry about what others think or say because you hold everything you do up to a much higher place? It is liberating. Do you know when you don’t feel lost and alone that life takes on a whole new purpose and direction? It is empowering beyond belief.
So when I sat in various churches across this great and wonderful country and I reached out and asked God where He was? He said right here where I have always been watching you! What are you going to do next? I am most interested to know. I said to Him “Lord, I can’t just sit here in the pew any longer!” His response was something akin to “Well it is about time!, Welcome to the next part of your life.” And off we went to the next level of faith and spiritual journey. And that as Robert Frost would say “has made all the difference”.
I put myself “naked” before Him every day. In a spiritual sense I check in with Him to see how it is going. What did I do right, what could I have done better, and how can we go deeper. I reach for deeper as much of my day as I can mange to focus on it. It seems to get easier all the time to find Him in so many ways. I see the glory and complexity of His creation in everything. I see the possibilities of many even when it appears on the surface there is so little to give to the world. I see into peoples hearts and beyond on a regular basis and love them anyway.
I have in my past questioned the existence of God. Been there done that! I have even shaken my fist at Him when we lost our first child. I have been agnostic and often felt I wanted to be released from my belief. After all wouldn’t it be simpler? Well no it wasn’t. Life was always so complicated on my own and I missed so much about life and the human experience. Today I see God in so many ways. Many of which is where you would least expect to find Him. That is the amazing part. Look and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened is a promise that was made to me. He delivers some experience of Him daily. He uses me to be the caring touch, the listening ear, and the helpful counsel to some one every day. Me, no one special, just willing to seek His direction and purpose in the moment. Willing to be the loving hands of God.
If I can find Him in my search after all the things I have been or done, your search might be much easier. You may find Him easily by just surrendering to the journey right now. I believe if you will look, you will find. If you seek evidence that He exist instead of looking for reasons to prove He doesn’t you just might be surprised what you will find. Won’t you join me on the journey?
Be blessed and be a blessing to someone today!
Rick
