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Seeing God At Work Around Us
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March 22, 2023
Recently my wife and I were on a cruise. In the morning it seems like the entire ship moves towards the breakfast buffet.
While sitting at my table I noticed a man in a wheel chair with a young woman who I assumed was his granddaughter. He had great difficulty talking and had to take deep breaths in-between his words. The young lady was showing him the menu and conversing with him very patiently. This went on for a few minutes and suddenly she disappeared and returned with his food. Another woman, much older, came and sat with him and proceeded to feed him.
The cacophony of sound along with the movement of so many people juxtaposed with this scene caught me off guard.
In that moment it was as if they were the only people in the room and I was a spectator witnessing something beautiful unfold before me.
I thought about my day and the day of others in that room. Everyone was moving quickly to start an entertaining day. I wondered how I would feel if I had to wait on that man at the expense of my plans. Would I be merciful? I continued to watch and realized I was observing something special.
I was witnessing God.
It was a holy moment for me. God wanted me to learn something. Over the last week I have thought about that scene as I try to find meaning in what I saw.
I thought about my journey.
There were times in my life when I’ve travelled some very lonely roads, when hopes and dreams came crashing down. There were seasons when true friends were very few. But there was Jesus. He came to me through so many situations and in people like those women serving that man in the wheel chair. God was always with me as he is with you. We are never alone but we often miss him standing right before us.
I think God is bigger and more visible than we could possibly grasp or imagine but we lack eyes to see Him. However, I think if we peer carefully through the mist around us we can see Him at work.
We all need to pause and think about our lives. Perhaps we might have the sensitivity to see those moments when God was present to us.
I’ve witnessed God when a friend donated a kidney to a complete stranger. Only God can do such things. I’ve witnessed God when I get a warm embrace and kiss from my grandchildren. A tender moment like that leaves us transfixed if we let it.
I see my Father at work when I visit mothers at the Visitation House in Worcester and watch them nurture their children.
God, my brothers and sisters, is all around us. There is no need to look up. His Kingdom is suddenly here and always has been.
I continue to reflect on the movement of God in my life. Is it possible that suffering and hardship are ways that God can show himself to us? Is that it’s meaning?
I’ve thought a lot about that man in the wheelchair. I am thankful for being able to witness it.
More closely to home I also reflect on my brother’s granddaughter, Ava.
Ava was recently diagnosed with leukemia. She is a beautiful and sparkling 4 old who is getting chemotherapy at Boston Childrens for the next 5 weeks. The treatments will continue for a year or more. Ava's mom is living at the hospital while her dad supports them through work and his care for their son.
But what strikes me the most is the self-giving nature of this family. I think most of us have witnessed such things, but are we capable of gaining some spiritual insight through it?
This requires you and I to stop and ponder in order to frame that experience with spiritual eyes.
In my brothers' case I see mercy at the expense of individualism. I see family members driving great distances, taking shifts so mom can rest. I see donations from friends and strangers to support the family. But mostly I see grace and mercy, tears of sorrow and for a short time, deferred dreams for a little girl.
If we look carefully we will also see something strange, something that takes our breath away. We witness God at work as He always has been.