God-Moments

Father’s Day weekend was all about books for me. I want to say a big THANK YOU to Joel and Maryann at Mauk’s in Jonesborough for hosting a book signing party for me and allowing me to set up and sell my book, The Great All-American Dad Misconceptions. Also thanks to Officer Dennis for bringing us all free ice cream from JJ’s! (If you haven’t had the ice cream from JJ’s you need to—it’s amazing J)

               But more than just signing and selling books, I got to talk to some people about life. A woman whose son is terminally ill, a caregiver looking after her husband through many long term illnesses, a family who recently adopted two children, and many others who were just coming in shopping enjoying a beautiful day in our beautiful town.

               These were special moments. Moments that I would not have been able to experience had I not been scheduled for a 10-2 for a book signing.

               And then on Father’s Day I received a gift of a new journal. I kinda like to write and read a little, so this was a perfect gift for me. But the gift came with a rule from my wife: ‘don’t use this for your to-do lists, use this to write what is on your heart’. Wise words from a wise woman.

               I do like my to-do lists. I live by them. They keep me on track and help make sure I do what I need to do when I need to do it. I have plenty of to-do lists.

               But this new leather bound journal would not be for that, it would be for something different. But what I wasn’t sure. I already had a journal for my meeting notes and a journal for working on writing ideas and inspirations for my next book. I decided that this new journal would be my “God-Moments” journal.

               Every day I will write down ways that I experience the active presence of God in my life in a different way. Every single day. And a different way every single day. I am doing this to be intentional in what I am looking at, or perhaps intentional in the ways in which I am looking at things; people, circumstances, events, etc. I am doing this because I want to experience the presence of Jesus more fully through the eyes of the Holy Spirit in my ordinary day-in-day-out up-and-down life.

               I think that if we look for God we will find God.

               “If you search for Him with all your heart and soul you will find Him”- Deuteronomy 4:29

               “If you look for Me wholeheartedly you will find Me”- Jeremiah 29:13

               And Jesus said, “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”- Matthew 7:7

               God-Moments. We all have them, and sometimes we even realize it. But more often than not I think we don’t. Not that we are intentionally ignoring the presence and working of God in our lives, but we are just busy. Or maybe like me you have too many to-do lists or too many things on your to-do list. Maybe we miss God because we are too busy doing things. Maybe even things we think we are doing for God. That’s why my favorite Bible verse over the past couple of years is Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”.

               God-Moments. I want to wake up every day looking for them. Interesting things happen then, when you are intentionally looking for the goodness and the mercy of God in things…you actually see them. And your focus, when it is on God, is not on other things that have been slowing pulling you away from Him.

               Maybe you’ll want to try this with me. You don’t need a new leather journal, but some way to write them down is helpful, that way you can go back and read over the ways God was with you when you need these reminders. Maybe you could share some with me too, I would love to hear how you see God this week.