One of the things I have tried to do over the years is slow down and look for those "God Moments" that pop up every once in a while. These are the times when you see God at work in wonderful ways - sometimes they are big moments, other times they are small little things. But they are always moments when God shows up and does something that is either unexpected or very much needed in our lives.
These God moments are a continual reminder that God has a deep interest in our lives. It is not like God is out there, just sitting in heaven, watching everything take place with amusement on his face, but rather he is active and present in our lives. God cares about us. He has a deep, loving, parental desire to be involved in what we do, and he wants to be invovled with us. God moments are those times when we see the face of God appear - sometimes through others, other times just out of the blue.
But sometimes we miss these moments. I have written about this before - sometimes we are so busy with everything going on in life that we miss seeing God at work right in front of us. We get so consumed with the daily grind that we miss the loving touch and gift of grace that God gives to us.
So, we are called to slow down. To take time to look at the beauty of creation around us. To call an old friend. To share a gift of grace with another. When we do this, we are more apt to see what God is doing around us, to us, and through us.
So take some time today, slow down, and ask God - what are you doing today, and how can I be a part of it. I am sure you will be amazed at the answers you get.
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While on my Orlando get-away, I had occasion to witness good parenting and not-so-good parenting. Of course, there were lots of children at the theme parks Nathan and I visited. Mostly, I enjoyed watching the exuberance and joy exhibited by both the parents and the children.
You can tell when a parent is having a good time with their child, and they know when you smile at them and their toddler, that you are sharing in their joy, so they smile back. While at Sea World, Nathan went off to the restroom and I was left to "people watch."
It was then I witnessed what I thought was unacceptable behavior on the part of a mother with her toddler, and I offered up a prayer. God had to do something to bring this lady fully awake to the needs of her little boy!
The woman was in a line, the stroller by her side, with the child facing away from her. The little boy, probably around 18 months, was screaming loudly, flailing his arms and legs about. He would cry for a long while, and then stop for a time to rest, seemingly exhausted, but soon begin again, until he was yelling "OUT, OUT, OUT." His kicking became so acute that one of his small shoes flew off.
The mother continued to wait in the line, never once going around to comfort the child, nor to show him that she was, indeed, still there. I was about 25 feet away, and was considering walking over to have some words with her, when she finally got the soda she was waiting for.
The child was still crying, and she got a sipper cup from the bag hanging on the stroller, filled it with Coca-Cola and offered it to the child, not from a position where she could SEE the child and the child SEE her, but from over the top of the canopied stoller! The child swatted at the cup, almost knocking it out of her hand.
She angrily put the cup and the newly purchased bottle of soda into the carry-all under the stroller and began pushing the baby away. I couldn't believe her coldness.
Nathan came out from the restroom and I began telling him about the mother. Amazingly, just as I was telling him that she had never even looked that poor baby in the eyes for the 10 minutes I had been observing her, she came around the stroller and began to speak to the child. The moment he saw her face he calmed down.
Sometimes we are not fully awake. Things are more simple than we think they are. All that baby needed was to know that his mother was near and that he was safe. He didn't need a Coke. He needed a soft touch, a warm voice; he needed someone to care that he was unhappy.
Was that a God Moment? I don't know. All I know is that the mother came to herself, realized that she needed to do something that she hadn't tried yet, and she finally did the right thing.
Let's all pray for guidance as we determine what we should do next. Even in the midst of a crowd, some people are still alone, still crying out for help, and no one seems to care.
Our family has been sharing in some "God moments" lately and it has exhausted Gregg and I, in a good way. The four of us very seldom get time together with Taryn working in the evenings and Gregg and I either working or taking care of things. Taryn is also not much of a talker sometimes as she gets wrapped up in her teen life and her friends. Over the past few months, we have had some evenings when Taryn comes home from work while we are watching the 9 o'clock news and Dan is getting ready for bed. By this time of the evening, Gregg and I are exhausted and getting ready to go to bed. But, wait a minute, we are all together and talking and joking and teasing so Gregg and I stay up and visit as long as the "moment" lasts. We end up getting to bed very late--sometimes close to 11 but we just can't pass up this opportunity to talk and spend time with the kids. Taryn will be going to college in the fall and the chance for these moments will be gone. It is then that we can catch up on sleep but for now, we'll sit up all night if it means a chance for our "God moments" with the kids.
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