Perceiving God’s Handiwork

If I truly acknowledge my thought life then I am forced to reckon with the reality that a significant portion of my time is spent, not in the pursuit of God, but in daydreams, in the longing for “something” more. The desires range from more sleep to bills paid off to a husband to a friend’s healing from cancer or to a vacation.

If I truly acknowledge my thought life then I am forced to reckon with the reality that a significant portion of my time is spent, not in the pursuit of God, but in daydreams, in the longing for “something” more. The desires range from more sleep to bills paid off to a husband to a friend’s healing from cancer or to a vacation.

But there is a drawback in spending extensive time focused on the “want”; whether through planning, daydreaming, emotional investment, or even prayer. The problem with focusing on what doesn’t exist (in the temporal sense) is that our eyes and mind is often distracted from noticing the movement of God within our lives and world – the very thing we long to see.

For example, a friend commented several years ago, “Why would she, with such a seemingly neat, packaged life, be interested in me, someone with a wrecked past.” What this man failed to realize was that God was in the midst of redeeming the past.

Our near-sightedness, fears, and insecurities blind us.

We become so wrapped up in what even seems like a godly pursuit, praying for God’s will, that I wonder if we would recognize His will when it comes before us. Stated more simply, are we looking and expecting the “bad” with such intensity that we cannot see the “good”?

I faced this realization personally last week with a new job offer. I unexpectedly received a phone call and events were put into motion that culminated in my resignation at the college and acceptance of a position with a non-profit organization. I immediately entered into many conversations and felt shock, nervousness, anxiety, excitement, even a bit of confusion. However, it wasn’t until three days later that current co-workers made a statement that floored me, “What blessing and favor you have experienced from God.”

Really? I had to stop and re-orient myself away from “me”, who had longed and prayed for a job change for over 18 months, to the giver of all things, the Creator of the universe, God. I needed to stop and consider more than me. I needed to thank God, who saw it was time to move me and set circumstances in place that would give me change, joy, and excitement.

I am thankful for the women who spoke spontaneously out of their understanding of God’s provision.

Simple lessons.
Learned over and over.
This life is not about me.
Jobs, relationships, joys, and fears.
May they always serve to point me to the triune God.

May my longings never blind me to perceiving God’s movement.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11