SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

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  • God is with us

    Right now, for many, these are lonely times.  There is lack of physical interaction.  It is for a really good reason, but we were made for community.  So it makes it extra difficult to find our way when our view of community has changed so drastically and at such a rapid pace.  What most of us imagined as a few weeks of change has become a version of new normality.  Lunch with friends is not so easy to plan.  Vacations are revamped, if happening at all.  It can feel like we have been swallowed up in the chaos of it all.  Air hugs and distance fist bumps just aren’t the same.  But it is where we are.  So what do we do when times feel so lonely and everyone feels so distant?  What happens when we look around and see despair?

    Elijah found himself in a really challenging place in his life.  Our struggles do not compare to his, except to say that God’s Word for him can really ring true to us in our situation.  I think the life that God speaks to Elijah also bring us life if we listen…if we truly hear.

    To give you a brief background, Elijah was a mighty prophet for God.  He was willing to do what God had told him.  He had stood before 450 prophets of Baal, confident in the work that God could do.  God had shown up, in a miraculous way.  He had been strong, he had been faithful, he had conquered his fears and God had honored that.  Baal had been defeated and the prophets had been destroyed.  God was triumphant…and that was the side that Elijah was on – it is always helpful to be on the winning side.  That would mean he would be willing to go up against anyone or anything…why not?  God had shown up once, surely God would show up again.  But Elijah found himself in a place of despair…fearfulness…loneliness…helplessness.  Elijah felt abandoned even despite all that had just happened.  And it wasn’t because Elijah lacked faith.  It wasn’t because Elijah was a wimp or he wasn’t being used by God.  Elijah found himself here even with his strong faith.  Sometimes we find ourselves here and it isn’t our faith that is lacking either.

    1 Kings 19:9-18
    19:9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
    19:10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
    19:11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
    19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
    19:13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
    19:14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
    19:15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
    19:16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.
    19:17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill.
    19:18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

    What are you doing here, Elijah?  Remember, God doesn’t ask questions because he doesn’t know.  It isn’t as if God has no clue what Elijah is doing.  He knows.  But he needs to hear why Elijah thinks he is there.  What does Elijah think of his situation?   How is he processing what is going on around him?  And Elijah repeats his perspective, twice.  This was how he felt.  This is where he was.  This was his view of his life and he was being destroyed by it.  We hear his plea, his cry, his heartfelt fear. This was where he was.

    Elijah felt alone.  He felt as though all was against him and he was left alone.  God provided him with an encounter.  He provided him with answers in the silence.  He showed him majestic wonders.  He moved him, literally with the elements.  He spoke to him as he sat.  He spoke to his situation, right where he was.

    We might think that this would do it for Elijah.  We might think this would be the renewal he needed, the boost to continue to move forward.  We might would imagine this would lift his spirits so he would be ready to face anything ahead.  But it wasn’t.  Even after his encounter with God, he still felt all alone.  That did not change him like you might would think it would.  God does not give up on him, though.  He does not leave him alone in his despair.  This speaks to God’s compassion for Elijah.  He doesn’t berate him for not being comforted.  He doesn’t tell him he is on his own now.  He doesn’t scold him or tell him to stop his complaining.  God doesn’t give up on him and I love this.

    He, instead, lets him know that there is support, there are others, God has not abandoned him nor the others.  His mission is not complete.  There are others that are in the same situation.  There is a community.  This is not the end for Elijah or the Israelites.  I hear God tell Elijah to pick up your head and see your tribe.  Lift your eyes to the hills, that is where your help comes from.  Lift up your heart, for God has provided all you need.  This is not the end, you are not alone.

    It is not easy to hear you are not alone when you feel so alone.  Even when circumstances tell you differently…even when God tells you differently.  It can be challenging when you feel pressed to continue going.  So many times, we can find ourselves just wanting to hide out.  We feel alone.  This scripture reminds us that God is not only with us, he provides those along the journey to accompany us.  We may not realize it.  We may not easily see them.  But God provides others.

    I believe that God reminds us that he is with us.  What does it mean to have God with you?  It means that no matter what you face in life, he does not abandon you.  It means that when you feel like you can’t go on, he helps to nurture you and bring you along.  It means that when you can’t take another step, he provides rest and renewal so you can continue the journey.

    I also believe that God tells us to lift up our heads, there are sights we have missed.  Lift up our eyes to the hills, God’s help is here.  Lift up our hearts, we have others with us on this journey.  You are not alone because there are others that travel this journey too.  You have a tribe.  You have people that love and support you on this difficult road.  You do not face this alone.  Look up, my friends, your tribe awaits.  Your tribe can consist of family and friends…people you haven’t even had a chance to meet yet.  It can be your church and your community.  Your tribe also consists of professionals that help you along the way.  Sometimes when we feel all alone, we need help that mental health can offer.  There is no shame in that – only grace.  God has given women and men gifts to help guide and direct us to a better mental place.  It often is that prayer and faith lead us to these gifted people that can help us with therapy and medication.  And there is nothing wrong with that…actually there is so much right with it.

    Today, church, know that you are not alone.  Whether you are hearing this on your phone, your computer, or in person…you are not alone.  Whether you are hearing this alone or with someone else, you are not alone.  God is with us.  God will not leave us.  We are not abandoned.  Lift up your heads, church.  Lift us your eyes, friends.  Lift up your hearts – for God has provided what you need.  May God be with us all as we seek him and find those with us on this journey.

    Amen.

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  • Grace – Devotion 109

    I mess up quite a bit.  There is nothing perfect about me.  I am okay with that.  I have no ideas that I will be perfect at any point.  It doesn’t mean I don’t stop trying to improve and grow.  I am always looking for ways to become better, kinder, and show more love.  I am always striving to find out what God means when he asks us to love him and love our neighbor.  This can be challenging even in the easiest of times.  So I am reminded that as I struggle, his grace is even more important.  His grace reminds me that I am not on a merit system and I do not have to earn his love.  That is freeing and refreshing.  I don’t have to do enough good things to make God love me.

    God loves me and God loves you because he made us. He created us and gave us life and breath.  We are given so many opportunities to show love to others that can only come from being loved so very much.  Grace is one of those things that is not always easy to hear or to take in.  We don’t always feel worthy (or maybe we never do).  We always want to dredge up the past or wear it like a backpack everywhere we go.  We want to point out the million things we have done wrong.  Isn’t it amazing that we can remember all those things that we did so wrong but struggle to remember all the good we have done?  But God has taken care of all of it.  He doesn’t worry about our past, he looks forward to our future.  He has given us a hope for so much more.  And it all begins with grace.

    Today, I pray that you embrace the grace that you have been given.  You are given God’s grace because he loves you so very much.  You are given his grace, not because you earned it or deserve it – you are worthy simply because you are his.  May God’s grace wrap you tight and lead you into the future that has so much to look forward to.  May God remind you that you are loved more than you could ever imagine.  God’s grace really is amazing.

    Focus Scripture:

    Ephesians 2:8-9

    8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • Taking Time – Devotion 108

    Too often it seems that I am in a rush to get somewhere.  Usually it is because I have booked too much too close together trying to fit it all in.  It is also a reason why I am almost never early and feel good when I am right on time.  Some people rush wherever they go.  It is a non-stop race so everything is full force.  They drive like it too.

    As a runner, I get to experience people’s morning commute from a completely different perspective.  There are those who are in such a rush that they are checking their phones and driving as if it is the last mission.  For those, I get off the road completely – they are crazy (you know who you are).  Then there are those who seem as though they haven’t yet ingested their morning coffee.  They are not quite awake and from our encounter, are not as friendly yet either.  They aren’t going to slow down or move over.  It is full on.  I also get off the road for them (they aren’t happy at all).  There are those who are in a rush but have had their coffee and seem a bit more pleasant.  These are the people who will move over and give me plenty of room, but are running full speed.  The breeze is nice but makes me a bit nervous (still, thank you for the room to run).  And then there are those who take their time.  I’m not saying they aren’t in just as much of a rush.  I’m not saying they don’t have as much going on.  But these people decided to take a few extra moments for my safety.  I experienced a few of those on my run yesterday morning.  Two, in particular, slowed way down and waited for oncoming traffic to pass.  They were thoughtful and courteous.  And they made my day.  They took the time to make sure I was safe.  They made an extra effort to spend a moment to wait for me.  They made time.

    How often do we feel like we don’t have a few extra moments to be kind because we are in a rush?  How many times are we so busy that we don’t even see the small ways we can make someone else’s day?  What might it take to simply put down the phone, pay attention to all that is around, and just take our time?  We might find there are good things going on around us.  We might see that the couple of extra moments didn’t make us any more late and we were able to change a situation.  It might be that we are able to help someone we would have missed in the hustle of the day.  Maybe today, we just take our time.  God may be working in that space and we don’t want to miss him.

    Focus Scripture:

    Philippians 2:13

    13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

     

  • The Writing – Devotion 107

    My handwriting can be challenging to read – at least that is what I am told.  Most everyone who has to read what I write has something to say.  When I was working on my undergraduate degree (many years ago), I had a professor that wanted everything handwritten.  So I wrote a paper as she asked.  I worked hard to make sure it was neat.  She had a meeting with me.  According to her, my handwriting was neat but it looked as if it was in a different language.  To figure out what it said was too much.  She would be making an exception for me – I was to type everything.  That may have been a sign.

    Over the years, I have typed most everything.  I can type way faster than I can write by hand.  When I write a note to someone, either my co-workers or Wendy will ask me if it was legible (as if I wasn’t trying to make it legible).  The interesting thing to me is that, for the most part, my handwriting is completely fine.  As long as I am not in a rush, it looks clean and neat in my eyes.  I don’t see a problem with it.  And I have a hard time understanding why others think it is so bad.  But it is, after all, my own handwriting.  I only question myself when I can’t even read it.

    What does this have to do with anything?  I see God’s creation as his own personal handwriting.  He signed his name to the goodness of this earth with majesty.  He continues to write new stories and produce new works that are beyond our imagination.  We don’t always understand because it isn’t our handwriting.  It can be difficult to translate because it may be unfamiliar to us.  I like to think of creation as a love letter from God that we don’t always understand because we don’t understand the writing.  We see familiar while the story is really extraordinary.  We see a jumbled mess when God sees a beautifully constructed poem.  We just don’t know how to read the story.

    Maybe we take a step back today and listen to the story that God is telling with his creation.  What is he helping us to understand?  What is he reminding us of today?  How is he filling our lives with a love story that we might be missing?  Maybe it is time to start reading his handwriting.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 19:1-4

    The heavens are telling the glory of God;
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
    2 Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.
    3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
    4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

     

  • Today is Enough – GRIEF POST

    Grief is hard.  It just is.  Learning to live without the person you love makes life really difficult.  We don’t often know how it will look or what it will be like.  We also don’t want to find out.  The unknown, the upcoming can be frightening and overwhelming.  When life seems to turn everything upside down and there isn’t a right side up any longer, what do you do?  Where do you go?  What’s next?

    The answer may surprise you…nothing.  Nothing is what is next.  Sure, you have things to do.  There are still details to deal with.  There are papers to sign and things to file.  Your loved one’s clothes are probably still in the closet.  You need to eat and take care of yourself.  But what’s next is up to you…and it can be nothing for today.  In other words, you do not need to worry about how tomorrow looks.  You do not need to stress out about how you will make it without your loved one.  You do not need to focus on how you will move forward in your life.  You do not need to think about any of that.  When you are dealing with grief, you simply need to be.  You do not need to measure yourself against someone else that has lost someone.  You do not need to worry about those people who tell you how long it will take to get over someone.  You do not need to listen to those who want to overwhelm you with advice on where to go and what to do.  You are not required to do any of it.  You are grieving and that is, in itself, enough.  Nothing else is required.  You can free yourself from the normal chores.  Just simply be.  You need to grieve in your way and in your time.

    There is no magic prescription that will alleviate the pain.  There is no timeline that is guaranteed to make things better.  Things will not return to their previous normal.  Your life is forever changed.  And yet, the sun will rise tomorrow.  You will figure your way through the maze.  You will find your way through the journey of grief.  There are many people who can walk with you.  There are friends and family who can support you.  There are groups to help you realize you are not alone.  But ultimately, this is your journey.  The next step and the future ahead will be at your time and your pace.  So be gentle on yourself.  Today is enough.  It is okay to just grieve today.

    There is something I do want you to hear as you begin to travel your grief journey…You are not alone.  I say this often because we forget.  We get caught up and it seems so lonely.  But you are not alone.  You have support.  You are loved.  Beyond all of this (and most importantly), God is with you.  The One who created you, gave you life and breath, and watches over you has not left you.  And he is not about to leave you now.  You can rest in his presence.   You don’t need to do anything for his love.  He offers it because you are his child.  You do not have be presentable in his presence, he knows your heart.  He loves you as you are and will not leave you in your time of greatest need.

    I pray today that you feel his presence.  I pray you are wrapped tight in his love.  And I pray that you know that he will not leave you.  Be gentle, be loved, and just be.  Today’s grief is enough.

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  • Tune In – Devotion 106

    Do you remember having the radio that you had to turn the dial to tune into a station?  Some of you may still have it in your car or as a part of your alarm clock.  There isn’t anything digital about it.  It is all about skill and where you happen to be.  You can flip the dial quickly to get close to the frequency.  But if you really want to hear the station clearly, you had to slow down and very careful move the dial.  It was about getting it just right – too much to the left or right would result in annoying static.  But once you found the station – it was like a celebration and no one dare move it.  You were tuned in.

    I think that we don’t realize the majesty and glory of God around us because we are stuck in the static of life. We miss all that is around us because we see what we want to see.  We experience what we think is there.  We view the world from our perception.  So we are tuned into us rather than the Creator.  I wonder how much we really do miss because we are living in the static of our lives?

    Maybe it is time to slow down enough to fine tune the station.  What do you hear?  What do you smell and taste?  What do you experience in God’s beautiful and majestic creation that you pass by?  What is it that God is speaking to you or showing you?  When you tune in, you may find that this ‘station’ has the most peaceful feeling and is full of lovingkindness and mercy.  You might find God there – are you listening?  Try slowing down and turning the dial just a bit.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 26:2-3

    2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and mind.
    3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in faithfulness to you.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • Just Love – Devotion 105

    Leo has a way of capturing our attention.  He loves to whine, which really is annoying.  But for him, it works.  If he whines enough, we will do whatever he is asking.  Most of the time, he just wants us to acknowledge he is there.  He doesn’t really want anything at all.  He has been trained to let us know when he needs to go out by ringing a bell.  That is great until he randomly rings the bell just to see if we will get up and come to the door.  He doesn’t want to go outside.  He just wants to see what we will do.  So you can imagine how much fun it is when he rings the bell and whines at the same time.  It can be a bit much.

    The thing about Leo is that he is so cute.  So you want to be mad for going to the door for the fifth time in a row – and all he wants is your attention.  He then goes and sits down on his end of the couch on his favorite blanket and just looks at you.  Any frustration you have seems to just melt away.

    You can see Leo has us wrapped.  He keeps everyone in check in the house to make sure he is the center of attention.  He gets special treatment because you cannot resist his love.  Leo doesn’t do anything but love us.  He doesn’t buy us presents.  He doesn’t bring any income into the household.  He simply just takes.  But the love he gives is priceless.

    Leo teaches me that love really does change things.  It doesn’t take money or gifts to show someone love.  Sometimes it is simply being present.  Sometimes simply knowing that my attention is valued is enough.  Knowing that when I have had a bad day, Leo is waiting with his tail wagging and his eyes of excitement can change everything.  What might this world look like if we simply loved, no strings attached?  Maybe that’s something to try today.

    Focus Scripture:

    1 Corinthians 13:4-7

    4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • After the Storm – Devotion 104

    There is something unique and unusual about the morning after a storm.  During the night, in the cover of the darkness, the winds roar and the winds pour.  There is nothing to do but rest and wait – and pray.  What will remain the next morning is yet to be seen.  As my side of the earth begins to slowly light up, there are the first few moments of investigation.  What happened?  What were the noises I heard when I could not see what was going on?  Did the tree snap?

    As there is illumination, there is also an eerie quiet.  Sure, creation still has its song.  The wind that remains is still swaying the trees.  But there is no storm raging.  There is a quiet that cannot quite be defined.  The anger of the earth has calmed, if just for a moment.  The most difficult has passed.  The clouds continue at speeds unknown – but all is moving on.  For now, there is peace.

    We encounter so many of our personal storms.  We seem to fight what we cannot see and struggle with things we cannot quite define.  It is as if we are struggling in the dark – just waiting for the morning to come.  When it does, things are not as they were.  Yet, there is an unusual peace.  It is a reminder that although there is unrest, God can and will bring a moment to breathe, a moment to simply rest in his peace.  Life will proceed.  Many things change, but we continue to move forward.  We are changed by the storm, if even in a small way.  We are shaped by knowing that God has brought us through yet another.  We are taught to hold on, the morning holds peace.  We begin to trust that the storm will not last forever.

    Whatever storm you may be facing in your life, I pray you can see the peace in the light of morning.  I pray you get a moment to breathe and be renewed.  May you see that God has not left you in the darkest hours but is preparing the light of day for you.  May you find hope in the rise of a new day.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 97:11-12

    11 Light dawns for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
    12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name!

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • Little Surprises – Devotion 103

    Little surprises can bring the biggest smiles.  To know you are thought of and cared about means more than words can express.  It isn’t the big things that often make the most impact.  It is the small gestures in a day.

    For my daughter, Kelli, sunflowers can light up a room.  So anytime we see sunflowers, we make sure to point them out.  A friend sent her an arrangement with sunflowers in it.  They just seem to lift the mood of the whole house.  Yesterday, I went to pick up a bundle of sunflowers.  I thought it would perk up our dining room and also bring joy to Kelli.  While I was there, I picked up a second bundle.  I decided if it could help my house, it could help my office as well.  Why not?  Little surprises can bring big smiles.

    I am always amazed at the things that really make me the most excited.  I love it when someone has thought of me in simple ways.  A couple of days ago, I opened the fridge to a surprise (a good one).  Not only did I have fresh greens and lots of broccoli, but there was a container that had the word “VEGAN” on it.  Kelli had made fresh ranch dip and when she did, she made a special batch just for me.  She marked it so I would know which belonged to me.  It wasn’t something I asked for or expected.  It was just a little surprise that brought a big smile.

    It really comes down to spreading a little kindness in our day.  It is about finding small but meaningful ways to be kind to someone else.  It doesn’t take a lot of thought or effort.  It simply takes a few moments to think of others.  Kindness goes a long way – and it brings big smiles.  Maybe we try a little extra kindness today.

    Focus Scripture:

    Proverbs 21:21

    21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life and honor.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • The Invitation

    There are advantages to being small.  When I was a kid, I was really little.  This didn’t pay off in sports, of course.  It didn’t really helped me attract the ladies.  It didn’t make me all that noticeable.  But it did make me really great at hide and go seek.  I guess you have to excel at whatever you can.  I could fit in the most unbelievable places because I was so short and thin.  It wasn’t really a big deal for me to wedge myself into a tight space and win the game.  So as long as I could hide, I was good.  I could stay there for a long time.

    Hide and seek is an interesting game, if we really think about it.  Someone tries to find another person or person(s) that is right in front of them.  Short of giggles or coughs, sneezes or other noises, a person could be right around the corner and no one know.  They are hidden in plain sight sometimes.  Eventually they are found or they stop hiding and just come out.  It gets boring when you hide and no one can find you after quite a while.  I think this childhood game can teach us something from the scripture today.  It is about seeking and finding…the invitation and answering the invitation.

    Isaiah 55:1-9

    Ho, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
    and you that have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
    Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
    2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
    Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
    3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
    listen, so that you may live.
    I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.
    4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander for the peoples.
    5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
    and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
    because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you.

    6 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
    call upon him while he is near;
    7 let the wicked forsake their way,
    and the unrighteous their thoughts;
    let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
    8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
    9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

    In this reading, Isaiah is talking to the remnant of Israel – those who are left after exile and all that has happened.  They are hungry for something…they are likely discouraged and distraught.  They need encouragement. They need a word from God that reminds them they are not forsaken, not forgotten.  They are not alone.  God speaks life to them with these words.

    Isaiah tells them to seek the Lord.  This is a command we hear more than once in the scriptures.  We are told…seek and you shall find…knock and it shall be opened…ask and you shall receive.  This idea of seeking is not new.  It is familiar.  To seek is active.  It is something we do.  I think the most interesting concept of seeking is that God is not hidden.  He is in plain sight.  Yet, we miss him all the time.  He is not playing hide and seek with us.  He is not hiding, waiting for us to come around the corner.  He is not crouched behind something waiting to come out and shout boo.  God is here.  God is with us.  God is in us and around us.  God is working through us.  God is here.  Yet, we miss him all the time.  I believe we miss him because we are not looking for him.  We miss what he is doing because we are not seeking him.  We may be busy with our own agendas.  We are living our lives so we do not see what he is up to.  We have our own plans and our own goals, so we miss that God is here.  We get in the way of seeing God.  He is not hidden, we just choose not to see.  We make the decision not to acknowledge his presence all around us.

    But the invitation is there.  The invitation to come and see is there.  We are not excluded.  Our sins, our shortcomings, our problems, our greed, our selfishness, our stubbornness may all be a hinderance – but God still offers the invitation.  An invitation means something.  An invitation means that someone wants us there.  They have thought of us for their event.  Our presence is being requested for something important, often quite significant.  There is something going on that someone thought we should be a part.  We are invited.  And over and over again, Isaiah repeats the invitation.  Come and see.  Come and experience.  Come and dine.  Come and be loved.  Come and find out all the God has for you.  Come and take your place at the table.  Come and listen to the goodness of God.

    This is a powerful invitation from the Creator.  It is an invitation to experience God.  We are not excluded.  When we accept the invitation, he cleans us up and gives us all we need to truly live an abundant life.  When we walk through the open door, he has a feast of joy waiting for us.  It is all right before us.

    Don’t misunderstand me, though.  This invitation is not about money or power or earthly gain.  This is an invitation from God.  He has plans that are good and abundant and filled with life.  But earthly treasures don’t mean anything to God.  He has much more important things awaiting.  So the invitation…the seeking…does not result in a bigger house or more money or monetary gain.  The invitation is to something so much more important.  The invitation is to a life of fulfillment by following God.  We are taken care of because we are seeking God.  We experience life in a whole new way because we are seeking and following him.

    The invitation has been issued.  God is right before us waiting for us.  Will you seek and will you follow?  The next move is up to you.  Choose wisely.

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