Living in the Presence of God

Living in the Presence of God

There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. Is it fall already?! Oh my gosh! Is that a commercial about Christmas?! There are so many days that I start the day in a rush, run around like a chicken without a head, and end the day by collapsing into bed without one thought of God. I think to myself, if I can just make it through the next few weeks, then I can focus on re-connecting with God. I get there only to realize that in a short while I’m just as tired and harried as before. Is my thinking skewed? Can I only rest in the presence of God when my work is done, when my bills are paid, when my pressures are gone? Am I looking for God in all the wrong places? Am I looking for God at all?

Too often we live divided lives - one part we fulfill our religious obligations - go to church on Sunday and volunteer in a ministry. Once those religious duties are done, we get back to our other life of earning a living, raising children, paying bills, and dealing with challenging in-laws. Our minds are filled with worries and preoccupations that we may miss a multitude of encounters with God in the everyday flow of life.

God comes in search of us in our ordinary, duty-bound, burdened, full of worries, and pressured life. We are more inclined to think that we need to go find God in a far off place. Take for example the event of the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-13). Jesus goes up to the mountain with Peter, James, and John and is transfigured before them. The Apostles receive a glimpse of our Lord’s divine glory and experience overwhelming joy. Peter says, "Lord, it is good that we are here." Peter wanted that moment to last longer, but it came to an end and the Apostles returned to walking the dusty road alongside Jesus who was sometimes tired, sometimes hungry, and a lot of times misunderstood.

What really matters is to see God behind all the circumstances we find ourselves. How would our lives be different; how would our lives be changed, if we were always aware that God was with us in the messiness of life? What if we defined a religious experience as sitting at the water’s edge, caring for a sick relative, hearing our child’s laughter, or forgiving our neighbor? There we would find Jesus walking alongside us in the midst of our routines, frustrations, families, and people around us.

God comes to us, speaks to us, and touches us through the people we meet, the work that we do, and the nature we see. When our senses are open to see, feel, hear, and touch the gestures of God, we no longer see events as coincidences or dumb luck, but

we see them as God incidences. Did you ever receive a call from a friend just at a time when you needed someone to talk to? You hear yourself saying, "I can’t believe you just called me? I was just thinking of you. I could really use your advice." Is that just a coincidence? Or is it God reassuring you that he knows what you need? What about a time when you doubted God’s existence? You happened to glance up at the evening sky and there in front of you was the most brilliant sunset. You knew that something that beautiful had to be created by God. Was that a coincidence? Or was it God answering your prayer? Every coincidence is God’s way of saying, "I’m thinking about you. I am here."

As we open our eyes and ears in faith, we see people and all created things of this world as revealing something about the glory of God. Real life becomes a religious experience. God is not someone outside of us, rather He at the very core of who we are. Deep within ourselves is a sanctuary where God speaks to us right here and now calling us to receive and share his love that we may experience life in abundance. St. Paul tells us, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Now that we know how to see God, everyday is filled with the assurance that God is with us.

Journaling with Jesus 
 
Begin with a few minutes of silent prayer becoming aware of God’s presence and humbly seek the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Then focus on the following questions for personal reflection and journaling.

As you reflect on your life, when have you felt closest to God?

Where in your life do you encounter God most powerfully?

When were you surprised by a God incidence?

How would God want you to grow spiritually through the routine of your work, the conflicts and joys of your living situation, the important relationships of your life, and your feelings about yourself?

Listen for Jesus’ response through Scripture, personal insight, and encounters with others. What do you think Jesus might be saying to you at this time?