Is He Close?

I was working on a sermon about discerning God’s vision, basing it on the idea that when we work with God, in his will, it is like spreading our wings and flying, kept aloft on the wind of the Holy Spirit. After the idea had begun to form in my mind, and I had bounced it back and forth with a friend, as I was coming back from lunch, three “flying” songs were on the satellite radio – three in a row.

Working on the advent to epiphany devotional, we ended up with exactly the right number of volunteers for the number of devotionals we needed. If I had set the calendar a day earlier, that would not have been the case.

Driving the van, turning around a corner, there is a brilliant sunrise, and my first thought is that God painted wonderful images in nature which remind me of his presence. As often happens, these nature images come when I need them. I am reminded of God’s presence, his hands working in the world, just at a moment when I need to be reminded.

Three moments – three small coincidences – are for me “God-moments.” As my friend MT called them last week, “rainbow moments.” Anyone looking at them, though, could doubt that – could think that perhaps they are truly just coincidences.

Driving to work this morning it occurred to me that one of the main steps that we must all take to realize that God is closer than we think, is to believe it.

We must approach life with an open mind, eyes which are open to see the presence of God. We must make the choice. Will I be willing to believe that these coincidences in life are truly God moments? Will I have the faith to step past doubt, and believe without proof? Or will I only believe that God is close if he makes himself so obvious that I cannot deny it?

Will you be open to the idea that when you are standing in a field on a mountaintop, with a group of youth, and the wind blows past, that what you feel is the touch of God? His Spirit moving past in pleasure at touching you?

Will you be willing to believe that when – for two years in a row – you prepare the exact number of crosses needed for a prayer vigil that it is the hand of God, leading, or will you believe that you are just a good number guesser?

Will you be like Thomas, needing to touch the scars, or will you be like Andrew, trusting that as you come to Jesus, or bring people to him, that God will take care of the rest?

Will you choose to open your eyes to possibility, or will you keep them closed tightly, refusing to risk the possibility that you might be wrong when you say, “I think God is close.”

Image: Grass at the VA.