Feeling God's Presence

I had lunch recently with an old (yet young adult) friend. During our lunch I asked her, “When in your life have you felt the closest to God?” She answered my question and we had a good discussion. But it got me thinking, I haven’t answered that question for myself. I’m glad she didn’t ask me the same question as I didn’t have a ready answer, and I probably should (more on that in a subsequent post).

We all have highs and lows when it comes to our lives. Hopefully our highs out number our lows, but for some of us that’s not the case. For some reason God allows some of us to spend more time in the valleys than on the mountaintops. My friend had been in a valley and is still there but her answer to my question was interesting. She felt the closest to God right where she was, in the valley. Not because she was wrestling with God or spending countless hours on her knees pleading with God to “fix” the situation she was in, but more because she was thinking more about Him, focusing her eyes on Him and not on her circumstances. She made the conscious decision to try not to dwell on the pain and loss she was feeling but instead, gaze on the face of God and in doing so she felt His presence and His closeness - more than any other time in her life.

I learned something from my friend. So can all of us. May we gaze on the face of God more often and when we do, may we experience His presence, His peace, His compassion, and His love - regardless of our circumstances.