Do you ever have moments with God where you feel as if you are in a game of Marco Polo? I do! I’m in a large pool surrounded by a plethora of people. My eyes are shut tightly and I’m yelling out “Marco!” (aka “Jesus”) all the while trying to distinguish the voice of God from the others yelling back “Polo!”
Sometimes I can hear Him so clearly. I’m in the shallow end and He is right there next to me. His voice is unmistakable and even with my eyes closed I know it is Him. I reach out and touch Him. I open my eyes and there He is, smiling down at me.
Other times I can barely hear Him through the noise of others around me. I’m trying my best to swim toward Him, but the multitude of voices around me prove to be very distracting. I feel tired, but this I know:
If I keep yelling out, I’ll find my way back to Him. He won’t let me stay “it” for too long.
Oftentimes I don’t even need to find my way to Him because when I open my eyes to peek at where He is, I notice He’s been right there by my side all along. He is always there. In the discouraging silence, when God seems so distant and all we desire is to hear His voice—those are the moments when He is near. Nearness, as if you can feel the warmth of His breath caress your soul and you honestly believe if you were to open your eyes in that moment you would see that He is standing right beside you.
I can’t often see God in the moment, though I am actively asking Him to give me eyes to see Him in the here and now—an acute awareness of His presence and what He is doing in the world around me. Yet, when I look back I see His hand working in every aspect of my life. Although we may not see His every move or understand His every decision, if we trust that He has the BEST in mind for us, we can have peace knowing that He is nearer than we think.
The promises of God line my home to remind me, everywhere I look, that His eyes are on me and He is nearer than I think. In fact, at any moment God could burst in with a miracle. Our lives as children of God are marked for unexpected miracles and drenched with the nearness of God.
"I pray that God develops an awareness of Himself in your life. Despite the noise, may each of us hear the voice of God clearly in every season!"
Photo Credit: sergio souza
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