God Hasn't Moved

I am currently reading the book Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman (with Ellen Vaughn). The book was written in memory and honor of Mary Beth & Steven Curtis's daughter Maria.

My sister handed me the book one day when she had finished reading it.  I almost said, "no thanks" - as I tend to read more fiction and wasn't sure this was the book for me.  But, because I heard and enjoyed Mary Beth and Steven Curtis at Women of Faith last fall, I thought I'd give it a try.

I'm not here to critique the book.  Far from it.

I'm enjoying it - although I'm not sure that "enjoy" is the appropriate word considering the story.  I've never experienced a loss as the Chapmans have, and so in that way, I cannot relate -- but I can appreciate their journey.

Today, I got to a particular portion, and something clicked.  This is why God has me reading this book, I thought.  Below is the portion of Mary Beth's shared journaling (pg.219) that I read.

"I think I am realizing something through all of the craziness.  Yes, God wants my quiet, and yes, God wants me to rest and hear Him and learn from Him.  But all along, in the crazy last two weeks where I hardly had time to think, I realized that if I always think that I am going to finally get to that place where I am constantly trying to get --like in a quiet, picked-up house-- then I'm wrong.

"I need to choose to SEE Christ in every birthday party I drive to, every piano lesson that gets taught, every ballet tutu that gets  twirled.  God is with me.  He isn't waiting until I die for me to be with Him.  He isn't waiting until BB season is over or until I get completely healthy.  He SEES me now.  He is with me now.  I know this is a simple realization, but it was big good news to me."

Thanks for sharing, Mary Beth -- because this was "big good news" to me too -- or at least a little wake-up call.  Sometimes I am so full of myself driving the kids around town, and making sure that everyone is where they belong, and then coming home to collapse on the couch and whine...  God must just look down on me and think "Really?  -- REALLY?"

God isn't waiting on me.  He is HERE.  NOW.  When things get crazy and chaotic around here, God hasn't moved.  I have to choose to see God in everything.

I see him in the returning spring-time weather,
and the new buds that pop out every day.
I see him in the big life-changing moments.
I see him in the little "aha" moments.
But I have to choose to see him in the ordinary moments.  The everyday.

Here's to today.  A fresh start.

Choosing to see.