THE INVISIBLE GIFT

Last year I woke up Christmas morning wondering what surprises God might have for me. There was nothing under my tree, nothing in my stocking and everything looked the same as it did when I went to bed the night before. I was so disappointed.

This year I began celebrating God’s presence right after Thanksgiving. It no longer mattered to me what was under the tree or in my stocking. God gave me two gifts, one of which I saw with my physical eyes, and one which I had to view with the eyes of my heart.

My heart was settled when I surrendered my desire to spend Christmas with family or friends. I was at peace with spending Christmas day by myself. Because of the boundless grace of God, I received an invitation to spend Christmas day with some good friends. We had a quiet and relaxing day. We watched our hometown football team play and ate leftovers for lunch. I had a great time.

Whenever I need to hear from God or become more aware of His presence, I am reminded of one of my favorite stories in the Bible is in I Kings 19.

Elijah the Prophet was discouraged because some people wanted to kill him just because he told the truth. God’s words to Elijah are found in I Kings 19:11-12 NIV The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper.”

I almost missed God’s gentle whisper because I was looking for Him in a powerful wind, an earthquake, or a fire. The gift of God’s presence would not have fit under any Christmas tree . I thought back to the prior year when I was wrapped in a blanket of self-pity, anger, and depression. I knew I would not be able to find a thank-you note big enough to contain my gratitude.

 Who? Me? Are you looking for the big movements of God and missing His gentle whisper? How is God speaking to you today?

One More Step: Today I will look for God’s movement in all the circumstances of the day, paying special attention to His gentle whisper.