Seeing God

The theme of this weekend’s retreat was everyday altars. The idea of seeing God in the ordinary parts of our days. 

The thing about retreats is that it’s easy to see God when you’re away from the distractions and responsibilities of every day life like work and laundry and dog hair. It’s easy to focus on God when someone else is cooking your food and making your coffee and the only thing you have to worry about is whether to spend your free afternoon taking a nap or spending time at the cross with people who feed your spirit and tickle your funny bone. 

It’s harder to find God in the every day. 

And so as I thought this afternoon about the places where I most saw the presence of God this weekend, there were big moments for sure. Moments of connection that could only have been orchestrated by God. 

But there were so many small moments as well. 

Moments that you don’t realize are holy unless you’re looking for the holy in them. 

Phoning a friend stuck in an airport so she could be part of the group even though she wasn’t able to physically be part of the group. 

People sharing their stories and their hearts and making themselves vulnerable in ways that formed a connection in ways that weren’t present before. 

Moments where a friend takes the time to cut your chicken because your hands are shaking too hard for you to do it for yourself. 

Moments where another friend tells you to eat that chicken when you are so distracted by what God is doing that you forget to eat, and that same friend sharing her ice cream with you and then taking you on a walk and holding your hand and your heart until they both stop shaking. 

Moments of ditching your prior plans for the evening, stepping out of the fun and comfortable circle you love so much, and widening that circle to include someone else who needs a circle of their own. 

Times of laughing until there were tears over stupid commercials, misunderstood metaphors, and misspelled words. 

And there was the sun rising over the water, lighting the sky up in colors that only God could create. 

Like a direct reminder from God, saying, I’ve got this. 

I’m still at work whether you’re seeing it or not. 

So pay attention. 

Because you don’t want to miss this. 

You’re going to want to see it. 

Pay attention. 

And take off your shoes. 

Because the ground you’re standing on? 

It’s holy.