may those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!'”
~ Psalm 40:16
I don’t see so well. No, my eyes are just fine. I’m talking about looking for God and seeing His call for my life. I’m looking for the BIG WHAT and frankly, it has been a bit like wandering in the desert. While I have been struggling with this call and casting my gaze skyward for what I was sure would be some great parting of the sky with the requisite beam of light, God revealed Himself and I almost missed it.
On a Saturday, I was driving the church truck to a neighborhood in Franklin to distribute donated food to those who are experiencing food insecurities. Except today, I had a special treat to go along with the donated vegetables from the Farmers’ Market. When I arrived at the neighborhood, we unloaded the crates, and the neighbors began to shop. I spotted a young girl I had seen most Saturdays. As I reached into the treat bag, I saw a delicious-looking muffin, slathered in icing, and handed it to her. Instantly, her entire face lit up and I caught a true glimpse of joy – not the run-of-the-mill happiness at having a treat, but pure JOY, the type that is only available from God. I was dumbfounded. Not because I felt like a mighty person giving this little child a treat but because through her expression, I saw God. He wasn’t in the clouds or hiding behind a rock; He was right there in a struggling community, in the face of a child.
I’ve thought about this often, feeling guilty that I was the one to receive the gift from God of seeing His presence when there were so many people who worked harder than I did to make this happen – the farmer who donated; the team that loaded the truck from the market; the congregation that paid for the truck; the staff and lay leaders that had the idea to redistribute unused food to those in need. You get where I’m going. I believe God appeared to all of us in that instant to remind us that His Kingdom can be right here. ~ Brad Jensen
Prayer for your evening…
Dear God, help improve our vision to see you in the routine of the day,
in the face of a child, in kindness,
and through your Kingdom here on earth.
Amen.