My 2 year old nephew Benjamin is fascinated by the leaves blowing in the trees and the wind coming through the doorway. When I told him it was just the wind he said, “What’s that?” (I’d like to say I gave him an impressive, scholarly answer but my first response was “Uh…Well…Hmm…”) How do you explain what you can’t see? Here’s what you do, show the evidence. I bought him a giant blue pinwheel and we watched it spin, we looked at the swaying trees in the yard, and we watched the wind move the clouds. Even though we explored the concept, the wind still remained a bit of a mystery. But the evidence confirmed its existence, so we absolutely believed it was there.
Our faith in God is like that. We can’t actually see God here on earth, but just like the wind, there is proof of Him all around us. Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” We see Him in an early morning sunrise, in the bright blue sky, and in the vastness of a starry night. And Amos 4:13, “He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth-the Lord God Almighty is His name.” God is everywhere. We see Him in the laughter of happy children, in the smile of good friends, and in the miracle of a newborn baby. We find Him in hope, in joyful celebration, and in those perfect moments of quiet peace. Jeremiah 29:13, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” That sounds just like a treasure hunt, I’m in, are you?
When the financial aide administrator at my college told me I had to give them $1,000 before he’d let me return for my senior year, he should of just told me to bring back the moon. I’d used academic and sports scholarships, a few grants, and worked every summer on a farm to help me make it to my last year. But $1,000? Not possible, especially since I’d hoped to buy a car so I’d be able to drive to the school where I would do my student teaching. I needed a miracle! Not one, but two miracles happened in the middle of that summer. The couple who owned the farm where I worked decided to give me their car (Who does that?). Then, I was given a $1,000 check to ‘help me with my schooling.’ So there I was, standing at the top of what once seemed to be an insurmountable mountain.