THE MOST AUDACIOUS enlivening, freeing, joy-creating, humbling, life-transforming reality of the Christian faith is not that God will be with us, but that God is here, right now. God is here in the midst of suffering, in the midst of short-coming, in the midst of triumph, in the midst of our greatest fulfillment, and in the midst of our broken-heartedness.
– Gregory S. Clapper
When the World Breaks Your Heart
(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)
So often our minds are focused on where God is supposed to be tomorrow, or where has God been yesterday, that we lose sight of his presence breaking through here and now. I must confess it’s hard when there are so many immediate demands coming from all directions. And we are so prone to attend to what is urgent, that we are unable to even stop and pay attention to God’s presence right before us.
While trying to keep up with Gareth and Elysia running up and down the slides and swings at the playground this morning, one such moment came through these leaves which suddenly caught my attention. It was short, it was simple, and yet even now while looking at them, God was there with us in our laughing and running, God will be with us tomorrow as we pack up and go for corporate worship together … but God is here now with the 2 older ones playing in their room, Ewan sleeping next to me, May Chin getting dinner ready .. and me. .. just catching my breath 🙂