Where is God? How can I feel close to God? At the top of a mountain? In a rush of emotions? Caught up in music? Away from it all? Somewhere special? Every Sunday morning? When I enter a sanctuary? When I am good? When I am self-sacrificing? When I give up time to read the Bible and pray? When I am religious? When I get my beliefs correct?
No, God is right here in my valley. God is in my routine everyday. God is in my depression. God is in every boring, mundane, tedious, monotonous, uneventful moment of my life. In a frustrating telephone call, God is here. As I face the clutter in my house, God is here. When the tears are threatening to spill over, God is here. When I could just kick myself for letting that come out of my mouth, God is here. When I am selfishly holding on to my time, God is here. When I don’t believe God is here, God is here.
That is the beauty of the incarnation. That is the beauty of creation. God showing himself to us through all he has created. God placing his own image inside of us. God himself coming to earth as Jesus. God himself coming to live inside of each one of us. Do we recognize this? Or are we living our lives totally unaware?
We don’t need to go somewhere to be with God.
We don’t need to set aside special times to be with God.
We don’t need to do something extraordinary to impress God.
We don’t need to put on a religious mask.
We don’t need to say the right words.
All places are sacred. All time is sacred. All actions are sacred. All thoughts are sacred. All beliefs are sacred. God is working, even there. God is touching, even there. In the most horrible of situations, God is working even there. Perhaps, most especially, God’s working there. Because God can take anything (and, yes, I mean ANYTHING) and bring good out of it. That is who God is.
This time, this moment, this place, has been set apart for God. Live in it.
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