It was a sunny, cool spring morning. I woke up filled with guilt and shame because of the night before. I was out drinking, swearing and acting like a fool. It was 4 years ago, and I had just started my journey back to God. It was in its early stages of repentance and building the bridge of faith back into my life, and the guilt was so intense that morning because I knew that the drunkness and non-godly words the night before was not who I wanted to be. With my self-hatred and tear-filled eyes, I laced up my running shoes, put my headphones in and, a first, found Christian workout playlist. This run was the first time that I became aware of the unceasing teaching that is in my life.
Song after song fueled my run and slowly broke me down. Every word that came into my ears was about how much God loves me and how much I’m forgiven. By the third song, I stopped running, put my hands on my knees and cried my eyes out right in the middle of the trail I was running on. I started praying and asking for forgiveness and thanked God for His never-ending love and constant pursuit of my heart. Now, you can say this was a coincidence, but I believe it is God saying “yes, it’s me! I’ve been here the whole time”.
This life-changing run was the beginning of my awareness of God in my every day seemingly meaningless moments.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray Without Ceasing
I’ve learned that the more I pray, the more I see him at work in my life. I’ve had more moments than I can count that I prayed for my husband to have people of positive influence impact his day and for him to come home and tell me about someone that inspired him randomly that same day! Or When I pray that my daughters understand our family bible study and it sinks into their heart. They end up saying things from their young mouths that is more profound than I could have explained it myself.
When I pray for myself, they usually consist of two words –
“help me.”
Mostly because I know I need a lot of growth and learning, but also because I know He searches my heart, tests my anxious thoughts and leads me on the right path. (Psalm139:23-24). He knows what I need better than I will ever know what I need and He knows the best way and time to deliver His teaching.
Most of my learning from God comes when I’m running. Not because He isn’t always trying to teach me, but because for 30+ minutes my busy mind is silenced and open. During the rest of my 17.5 hours awake my brain is always thinking, planning and moving onto the next thing – never giving God, or anyone else for that matter, the chance to speak into my life. Yeah – this is an area I need to work on 🙂
Just in the last two days an Instagram post, two different podcasts, my bible study and my prayer for help have connected so much that the same words and message were used in every single place.
The same words – No way is this a coincidence.
Finding my reconnection with my faith over the last few years has been empowering, humbling, and positively trying at times, however, the fact that I know He’s there continue to give me hope and press on toward the renewing of my mind and heart. I wish I could remember every single time this happens, but it’s so frequent, I can’t recall them all. I continue to grow and learn something new every day. A student of God – AWESOME.
I’m sharing this because I can’t believe how long I went through life without allowing Him to teach and guide me. I hope that you too will open your mind to His teaching. That you’ll see Him in your daily life – while folding laundry, cooking dinner, having coffee, driving to work… He’s always there trying to get into your heart to teach you and grow you – to work everything out for your good and His Glory.
Do you have a God moment/moments you’d be willing to share? Please do in the comments and share your hope with others.
