Where is God?

I know I can't be the only one who has ever asked this question. God, where are you? Sometimes this question comes in a moment of pain and hurt when I am desperate for God to show Himself on my behalf. Other times, this question appears when this childlike expression rises up inside of me and I am eager to see God in His true state. God, in this day where are You? I'm not even sure if I was asking this question Sunday on my drive, but I do remember intentionally turning my radio off and asking God what He was thinking today. This has become a normal habit of mine for some time now when I am alone in my car. I remember hearing someone once say that you wouldn't take a drive with your best friend and never engage in a conversation with them. Yet, we are daily with God in our drives and never take the time to speak with Him. So, on this day that is exactly what I was doing. I was being intentional about focusing on the God of the world being with me. And what a better question to be asked then, "What are you thinking". I love when someone values me enough to care about the things on my heart. So, when my list was long of things on my mind, I chose rather to ask Him what was on His. Just as quick as I could utter the words, the God of the universe spoke back to me. "I want you to pull in here". Now, this location I never go to. Not because of any particular reason, but it wouldn't be the first place I would think God would want to meet with me at. I begin to get excited and I wonder what God is up to. I pull into this coffee shop on a Sunday morning, I gather my things and make my way inside. I observe the people and contemplate what their lives are like and notice their belongings and who they are with. Since becoming pregnant lots has changed for me. I can't order my usual coffee drink and I am rather clumsy. As I am trying to decide on what to order, while at the front of the line, the barista is overly kind and patient. So eager to help me and share stories of her pregnancies that she experienced long ago. How now her children have children and she expresses what a gift this season of my life is. What a sweet moment of a stranger sharing some of her life's most precious memories with me. As I walk off with my drink and pastry (because being pregnant means I still workout but I get the pastry when before I could've convinced myself to pass it up) the clumsiness kicks in and my glass plate slips off my book and shatters everywhere onto the ground beneath me. You would've thought all of these people knew me. Almost everyone in the place quickly gets up to check on me, help clean up the mess and carry my things for me to my seat. I make my way outside as they are bringing me a fresh pastry and telling me that accidents happen. Several moments pass by when this less than approachable man approaches me asking if I would mind if he sat at the table next to me smoke. I quickly point to my growing belly and tell him I would only due to the little girl growing inside. He kindly replies so apologetically and walks clear across the parking lot to smoke. Remember, I am outside so he did not have to ask me, much less decide to be extra courteous and go out of his way to make sure he didn't bother me. Now, when you are pregnant the strangest things can make you cry, and for me this was one of those moments. There is something so breathtaking about the kindness of a stranger. Then God softly whispers to me, "you can find me in the most unlikely faces if only you will pause to look upon them. I am everywhere, always". Wow! Tears stream down my face as I think on how I just experienced the kindness and gentleness of God in the most uncommon place and in the most unlikely faces. Sometimes I think we put God in a box without even meaning to. We think the only place we can experience Him is a church service on a Sunday morning or while we are reading the Bible. While these are both necessary and important, I think sometimes we miss the ordinary moments that are really extraordinary. He is in the faces of those we most love, the changes of the leaves and the early walks when the morning is crisp. The Word is clear, "God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them"(Genesis 1:27). We can miss God if we don't take the time to pause and really experience His creation. Even now as I am typing I can hear His Spirit remind me of a verse that I have heard so many times before. "O, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand" (Isaiah 64:8).

I feel like this picture displays this verse perfectly. The color, shape and purpose of each of these are different, yet each one was handmade with a vision. You too are like this and so is your difficult neighbor. My prayer for you today is that you wouldn't go through another ordinary day missing an extraordinary moment with God. Take the time to know the lady you see so often but have never spoken to. Call the single mom and have food delivered to her house. Pause and hear the elderly man at the gym tell you stories of his days. God just might have a surprise waiting for you in that unexpected moment and that surprise could be a wink from Him. Before you go, let's hear what you got from this and ways you want to implement. Everyone has something to bring and what you bring just might be what someone else needs to hear! XO