So much of our lives are spent searching. What should we do next? How should we move forward given our current circumstances? How will my life be determined by my next move?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I often forget that God has the ability to meet us where we are. That he is intimately involved in even the smallest of our life events, thoughts, heart-whispers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today was beautiful. It was one of those winter days that is almost too cold to go outside, but the sun is shining in full force, so you go ahead and brave it just to enjoy the brightness of the day. Late in the afternoon, my husband, our dog and I decided to bundle up and go hiking at a nearby spot that we had never been to before. About a mile up the mountain, there is a clearing with a couple of benches to sit on and a view that spans a large part of our area. No one else was up there. After several minutes of exploring (and partially climbing a tree), I spotted a large trunk of an oak tree, lying across the floor of the woods, spotted here and there with moss. The sky was clear, and there was a light, cold breeze. It lay just past the clearing, on the edge of a steep embankment. Below, you could see part of the trail we had just hiked and beyond, our city that we have come to love so dearly over the past 2 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I carefully walked on top of the trunk, imagining all of those thematic movie scenes where the protagonist is forced to tiptoe across the top of a tree trunk from one cliff-edge or riverbank to another to make it to safety. I finally settled on the higher edge of the trunk, sitting with my legs out in front of me, taking in my surroundings. The quietness was a welcomed change. I closed my eyes, and embraced the silent sounds of the forest, of nature, the sweet smell of clear breezy air, and thought about all of the life that surrounded me that I had just explored and admired. I pondered these things, and slowly, as if on que, the sun emerged from the shadows of the treetops above me. Its rays seemed to softly, gently lower its light and cover my face with warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only those hearts that have been given the gift of connecting with the one true God can understand the kind of moment I am describing. Love, peace, light, warmth. Did the Lord allow this tree to fall at some point in the recent past, knowing that I would sit on it at that very moment, re-connect with Him, and receive some needed reassurance, a reminder of His love, and greatest of all, a moment of His essence that can not be described in earthly terms? It may seem a little overly self-focused, and maybe it is beyond the point I am trying to make here. Regardless, He saw me in that moment. Truly, kindly, carefully and with the perfect balance of care and strong intention, He touched me with His light. I had a chance to respond and embrace the gift. As soon as my spirit quieted again, the moment, along with the sun, was gone as quickly as it had come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did not go searching for his presence, though being determined to be “better at seeking Him” has been on my mind as a pursuit in this new year. Ironically, and in a way that He so often does, He proved that He knows better than I do. That this life is not about me and my next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did not embark on this hike today hoping for an encounter with the Lord. I didn’t go looking for Him. He found me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like He did when I was 7 years old sitting in a church pew next to my dad. I couldn’t have planned it. And I couldn’t have hoped for anything better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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