Whenever
We’re Down and Out,
Feeling Low, Abandoned, Confused or Angry,
We Tend to Look Up at the
Sky Towards God,
and With Arms Outstretched,
We Beg Him for Some Small Sign
to Prove that He is Still Out There.
Any Sign Will Do.
We don’t need a burning bush, a clap of thunder, the parting of a sea, or the raising of the dead. Nothing that dramatic is called for. We simply want him to send up a little sign – a spiritual road flare, if you will – to show he’s still watching over us and still loves us.
But does God really need to prove anything to us that he hasn’t already proven long ago? Not really. He’s already given us his Son, Jesus Christ, his grace and his salvation. What more do we really and truly need?
But God has a sense of humor, and he never wastes a hurt, is always ready to teach us yet another lesson, and he never fails to send us a sign of his love and affection when we need it most. But we need to be watching and listening for it.
And so the miraculous happens. Your angry spouse suddenly softens their resolve and shows their compassion with a tender hug. Your friend calls to apologize for hurting your feelings. That long awaited raise finally comes your way, just in time. None of it seemed possible or probable, but God is faithful and true, and he always responds to the needs of his children.
Not because you demanded proof of his existence, but simply because he loves you.
You and I Are Probably
Kindred Souls.
My name is David Cornell, and over the past 57 years I have experienced many challenging periods in my life. Like most folks, I’ve had my issues growing up with my parents as well as being a parent to my own children. I’ve had my periods of self-doubt and fears about my career and my relationships with the ones I love. And from time to time, I’ve experienced hopelessness and doubt, too.
But through it all, I have learned to become more aware of God’s expectations of me and his constant and vigilant presence around me. And whenever I am in need of his assurance most, I can always count on experiencing one of his wonderful and glorious
God Moments.
Most of the Christians I know – if they are honest – are “Sunday-go-to-meeting” type folks. They go to Sunday service, and tell everyone they’re “doin’ just fine.” Sound familiar?
It’s only in moments of quiet desperation and panic that we tend to reach for the dusty Bible on the top shelf, turn to a random verse, silently read the words, and pray with eyes clenched tight for our rescue … and a sign.
Sometimes – in the midst of our challenges – that’s when God seems the furthest. As our anxiety and fears get the best of us, we try to wish God into our lives, and then when nothing apparent happens to improve our situation, we mutter under our breath that we must be undeserving of his love and grace.
But nothing could be further from the truth. When we live in the moment, God’s handiwork and involvement in our lives becomes more apparent. We are never alone in the moment because he is standing there right beside us. It’s in those mundane, everyday moments of life where we really meet God.
Let Me Tell You a True Story …
In 1974, Connie and I were married, and in 1977, our beautiful, blue-eyed, blond-haired little girl, Mandy, was born into this world. Our life was perfect – exactly as I had planned it.
Eleven months later we were back in the hospital, listening to the experts inform us that Mandy’s gross and fine motor development was only that of a two-month old, and her mental development was only slightly better.
As the doctors walked out of the examination room, my wife and I stared at each other silently, and then at Mandy. The doctors and nurses busily walked by us as we felt our safe and happy little world begin to crumble around us.
We waited for someone to return to tell us how to care for our daughter and make her perfect again. But no one came, and I felt terribly and utterly alone.
The elevator ride down to the lobby of the hospital seemed to take much longer than it should. I lived a lifetime in less than a minute. All the joy was sucked out of my life, and I realized the world was not as I thought. Our life was no longer perfect, and I was powerless to fix it.
During the drive back home my mind was raging with self-accusations and self-pity. And then … it happened. I looked across at my wife. She was holding Mandy, smiling and cooing at her, just as if she was a newborn baby.
It Took My Breath Away.
Connie was starting over, assuring Mandy with words of love, compassion and acceptance that nothing had changed, and she was just as wanted on this late afternoon moment as she was early that morning.
My wife’s confidence in the Lord rose to the challenge, and in that single moment became the bedrock of our thirty-six year marriage. More times that I can count, I asked myself, and God, how did my wife stay so calm? Where did her inner peace come from?
Over the years, softly and tenderly, without ever giving up, she taught me that love is not about gathering, it is about giving. Several years ago, I awoke early one morning and looked over at her still sleeping body beside me. I quietly considered the question that had puzzled me for so many years.
I no longer was asking myself, “Why am I still with her?” but rather “Why is she still with me after all I have put her through?” Such is the nature of love.
Be Still and Know That I Am God.
God Moments abound all around us, and his work can be seen in everything. All we need to do is to learn how to be silent and still long enough to see it for ourselves.
But that’s difficult for most of us. Our reaction to the bad things that happen to us tends to generate more bad stuff. Our natural instinct is to be quick to anger and judge, try to fix the people and problems around us, and then panic over what’s to come next.
It is infinitely more challenging to learn to sit back, trust in God, and let him reveal his loving nature to us. If we simply take the time to invite him into our lives, he will be there for us.
God Moments make you think harder about the nature of love, forgiveness, faith and responsibility, and to prayerfully consider your own walk with God.
God works in mysterious ways. Isn’t it time you learned to let go, and watch God work in your life?
Click the button below to purchase your copy of God Moments right now. You may purchase either an autographed print version or download the Adobe PDF or Amazon Kindle ebook and begin reading it right now, even if it’s 2:00 am in the morning.
