The Unexpected Presence of the Always Present God

Are you still speaking, God?

The sun is absent from the sky this morning as I scratch these words in my journal. There’s not enough color to even call it gray. It’s blank and cold… and so am I.

I’m struggling this morning. It’s a familiar ache… one I’ve felt far too frequently in recent days. I feel off. It’s hard to tell if my struggle is physical or if it is depression and anxiety rearing their ugly head—maybe it’s a trauma response. I don’t know. All I know is I’m tired. I don’t rest when I sleep. I miss the sunshine. I’m tired of being cold. Winter drags on and on.

I spend most of my life reminding people that God is with them… and that this is a good thing. Day after day I remind people facing the worst things anyone could imagine that God has NOT forsaken or forgotten them. But sometimes I too need reminding.

Are you still speaking, God?

“Hey, It’s so good to see you!”

I don’t yet know her name. She told me once, but I’ve struggled to remember. I’m a regular in the coffee shop where she works and she always greets me like a friend. She and the others at this shop could just smile politely and take my order. Instead, they ask about me and my family with genuine curiosity. I love the coffee and the atmosphere. The food is pretty great too. But it’s the people that keep me coming back.

On this cold and colorless morning, our brief conversation about kids and stickers and art and anime was the life-giving word I needed.

The divine is present in all things and in all people. The divine becomes known in and through our interactions with one another.

I would never try to insist my faith upon anyone. Love isn’t forceful. Love doesn’t insist on its own way. But my faith gives me words and a means to consider how to think about things like the way my spirit came to life this morning through the kindness of another human. It brought warmth and color to my day.

Are you still speaking, God?

Yes. I believe you are.