Romans 1:20
God’s eternal power and character cannot
be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these
are like by all he has made. That’s why those people don’t have any
excuse.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
This
morning, our friend Pat posted a photo that he captured from his window
of a beautiful sunrise over the lake that borders our community. Pat
is recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous kidney. He will soon
begin treatments at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas – 6 or
7 rounds of treatments that each last 6-7 days. Pat has a wife and
three small children - and countless friends and family members who
love him. We are all praying that his healing is swift and complete.
I
know that Pat’s relationship with God was strong before his diagnosis,
so it didn’t take a cancer scare to cause him to recognize God’s
presence and power in an early morning sunset. But sadly, it does take a
life-changing event to “wake up” many of us. We fail to notice God –
much less acknowledge Him – in our everyday surroundings. When
something tragic or frightening shakes us, we often become suddenly
cognizant of even the smallest of details…and God’s hand in each of
them.
As I write this devotional, Lucy - our “tuxedo” cat - is
sitting on my lap…nudging me and “talking” to me. She is saying, “I’m
right here! Notice me!!! Give me your attention!” I’ll be honest…I
don’t always pick up on these signals. I often fail to realize that
even sitting for a few minutes with my beloved pet can be a “God
moment”. I bet you have similar situations in your own life.
Yes,
Lucy has a way of standing at my feet and gently tapping my leg… or
chirping at me rather loudly as if to say, “Hey YOU!” But there are
plenty of times when I walk right past her and don’t stop to notice how
sweetly she is sleeping…or how intricately God designed her fur patterns
to create the “tuxedo” look she sports. I get so busy with the
“things” of my day that I don’t acknowledge that she would like to spend
just a few minutes with me…that she has been patiently waiting for me
to feed her, rub her face, or sit down and let her snuggle in my lap.
And often, she gives up and walks away…at least temporarily.
Do
you ever feel like God has walked away from you…that He is “tucked away
in a chair” - or even hiding from you? Does it ever seem like God just
gave up and walked away? Did it occur to you that what might actually
be happening is that you have ignored Him…that you have failed to
recognize His presence or to acknowledge His handiwork? Do you take God
for granted?
I’m making more of an point these days to pay
attention to those who are so important to me - including our two little
fur balls! I am making a concerted effort to take time to sit and
stroke their faces and appreciate how intricately God creates even a
small, domesticated cat. I am determined to stay more focused and aware
of how important we must be to God…and to recognize His “signs and
wonders” all around me. If God would spend so much time and energy on
our pets and their design – or the artistry of a sunrise - surely He
must really love US!
I pray that I would never get so caught up
in my own doings that I fail to recognize God…that I would not have to
experience a life-changing event in order to truly notice His presence
and power in all things great and small. I pray that this never happens
to you, either. Are YOU aware of God’s presence in even the ordinary
things of your day…the wonder of a small pet, your children, how
amazingly your body “works”…or the beauty of a sunrise? God has all the
time in the world for each of us. Isn’t it time we made time for Him?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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