"Dear God, why can't I feel Your presence?" How many times have I asked that question? There have been times that it has been so blatantly obvious; I am surprised that He didn't whack me on the head with a 2x4. One time while I headed to work, I stopped to get a cup of coffee. I was late for work. I was stressed out. All I wanted to do was run in the coffee shop, get a cup of coffee, and get out. Unfortunately, the 10 or so people in front of me had the same idea. So I got more stressed and angrier that I was being held up by people that weren't as important as me. When I finally got my coffee, about 10 minutes later, I was fit to be tied. As I was walking to my car, a man walked up behind me and said, "Excuse me, may I speak to you for a minute." As I silently fumed that I was yet again facing another delay, I thought to myself, "Great, I wonder what he wants." In the brief second that I stood there, waiting to see what he wanted, he said to me, "I appreciate the job that you do, God bless you". I stood there in ashamed silence. Here was a man who took time out of his day to walk over and tell me this, and all I thought of was how he was "bothering me." As I left the parking lot, I couldn't help but feel that God's presence was with me, and that God wanted me to slow down and stop getting caught up in the little things in life that drag me down. God knew that I was overloading myself, and I apparently ignored all the other signs, so He sent this stranger to cross my path. I realized then that I sometimes let things get in the way of what really matters. I sweat the small stuff. The world will go on if I don't get my morning coffee (I have to constantly remind myself of this). God constantly reminds me of His presence and His love for me. During the times I have not felt God's presence, I realize that it's not God who isn't present: I'm not allowing God to be present. During low times in life, it is easy to think or feel that God isn't there, that He has deserted you, but there is scripture in the Bible that proves that He hasn't. In Genesis, Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. (Genesis 37:28) No doubt Joseph's condition was indeed bleak, but he was able to trust in God. Genesis 39:2 says that "the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master." Joseph was eventually freed and lived a prosperous life. God is always present, you just may not be aware of it. Stop, look, and listen, He is there.

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"If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously." (1 Chron. 28:9-10)

When I was little, my sister and I would chase fireflies in my grandmother's yard. We'd see a flash in the distance and we'd run toward it, sure we could catch it. When we got to where we had seen it, we'd wait...but it was gone. Then we'd see another flicker of light, and we'd lunge toward it, hands cupped and ready to capture this mysterious little bug. Convinced that we had finally caught it, we'd open our hands to see....nothing. How had we missed it again? On and on this would go, until darkness eclipsed the yard and we were called inside.

Looking for God can be like chasing fireflies. There's a flicker of something beautiful - something different and mysterious and unlike anything you've seen before - and it draws you to Him. As much as you may try, you have a hard time catching up with it. Sometimes, though, you do catch up with Him - with God - and what you experience then is like the feeling my sister and I got whenever we would actually catch that elusive firefly. Excitement. Joy. Wonder, as we looked at it and tried to figure out how it worked. We'd marvel at its beauty as it flickered and danced in the dark, and would try to figure out how we could keep it there forever.

Finding God takes effort. He's always there, but it's up to us to make the effort to experience Him. It's hard, but when we do find Him - when we feel like we've captured Him in that one moment - all of our effort and frustration and discouragement and failed attempts are worth it. The wonder, mystery, and beauty that we find in those moments with God Himself draws us back to try to find Him again.

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God's Presence

When I feel God's presence around me, it is a wonderful and awe-inspiring feeling. I guess I feel His presence the strongest when I am up in the mountains, all alone, just me and God and nature. It's easy to feel His presence in these times, and I deeply enjoy these times with Him. I almost feel as if He is sitting beside me, or walking the path along with me.

It's the other times in my life that when I have a harder time feeling God's presence. It's a little easier on Sunday mornings in church or when I'm with my church friends, but it's not quite as easy when I'm at work or when I am stressed doing the chores of the day, whether at work or at home. In order to feel God's presence in these times, I have to slow down and pray. If I stop and take time to pray several times during the day, I feel that I connect with Him and my spirit is settled.

It helps when I have something specific on my mind to pray for. I especially enjoy praying for friends who are going through some uncertain or tough times. When I am praying for someone besides myself, my own spiritual life improves as I really have to pursue God and chase after Him, persistently asking Him to answer. A side benefit is that when I am praying earnestly for someone else, it seems my own life is "cleaned up" a bit as I have less time for idle and ungodly distractions, since I spend more of my day with Him on my mind.

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Feeling God's Presence

I recently experienced a family death and had prepared myself with the fact that it was a terminal illness, but there is truly no way to prepare for losing a person you love and cherish. I received the dreaded phone call from my mother that my aunt had been hospitalized and wasn't expected to make it through the weekend. So I packed my bags and drove 6 hours to meet my family at the hospital.

During my long drive I prayed that God would show my family mercy and love through this sad time. I had no idea how He would show me his mercy in ways I will never forget. When it came down to the last minutes with my aunt, we all told her how much we loved her and began to pray. My mother began to sing some of my aunt's favorite hymns and my aunt left her earthly body to enter the presence of our Lord. It was the most amazing feeling in that hospital room, you could feel the Holy Spirit's presence and there was such a peace and calm during this sorrowful time. It makes me think of Matthew 11:28 and Luke 6:36.

I have experienced God's presence on numerous occasions and am so thankful to have a relationship where He allows growth and closeness. But I can also think of times when I'm doubtful or don't feel Him with me. These are the times we must cling to our faith; go to the Bible, pray, meditate on a favorite scripture, sing praises or call a fellow Christian and tell them our struggles and ask for prayer and spiritual guidance. Remember that God is sovereign and knows what we are going through (whether we include Him or not).

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"But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being." Romans 1:19-20 MSG

Many people feel a connection to actors or actresses because they follow their films or television shows. It seems that you "know" them after watching them time and time again. Why shouldn't we feel this way? After all, these are typically people that we spend time with. They're often right in our living rooms. Because we have seen their creations so frequently, we feel like we have a relationship.

How do you feel God's presence in your life? I have always found that I can hear God best when I'm surrounded by His creation. Nature is so easy to miss from the window of a car, but sitting on the back of a horse, deep in the woods, He is so plain to me.

You see, sometimes it feels like God is absent when He's really there all along. Sometimes I'm so busy answering my cell phone or checking email that I don't have time for God. How messed up is that?! Luckily, God always has time for me. When I slow down and unplug from my wi-fi world, I find that not only is God patiently waiting for me, but He's created a fascinating, complex pallet through which I can experience Him.

Like with a favorite actor, the more time I spend examining the intricate pattern of bark on a tree or listening to a brook bubble by me the closer I feel to God. I believe that one reason God gave man dominion over the earth is just for that reason. So by caring for His creation, we understand God better and grow closer to Him. I think the man who once said, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man," must have felt the same way.

Pray this week that God will reveal a way by which you feel His presence more fully.

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