Look For God
Just minutes before the start of the ING Georgia Marathon the minister leading the invocation challenged the runners to look for God. He said, “Look for God as you run today; if you look for Him you will find Him out there.”
That was a good word; a word I needed to hear. When I crossed the starting line I quietly asked the Lord to reveal Himself to me along the way; and He did.
If memory serves me correctly, I “saw God” at least seven times during my run.
The first time I saw God was at mile four when I questioned if my hamstring would hold up through the race. You will recall from Wednesday’s blog that is when the Lord reminded me how many people were praying for me and that all I needed to do was run and He would take care of everything else.
That was a good word; a word I needed to hear. When I crossed the starting line I quietly asked the Lord to reveal Himself to me along the way; and He did.
If memory serves me correctly, I “saw God” at least seven times during my run.
The first time I saw God was at mile four when I questioned if my hamstring would hold up through the race. You will recall from Wednesday’s blog that is when the Lord reminded me how many people were praying for me and that all I needed to do was run and He would take care of everything else.
The next time I “saw God” was when the sun started rising around mile 6. I cleared a hilltop and started my ascent down the other side when I was blinded by the brightness of the early morning sun. I was reminded then of how many times I watched the sun rise during many of my long runs the previous 18 weeks. I used that time for a few moments of praise and worship.
Another time I “saw God” was when I passed a runner with “Pray for Bill” printed on the back of her shirt. I never found out why or how I should pray for Bill, but I prayed for him any way. I also used the time to pray for you and many others during that portion of my run.
The fourth time I “saw God” was when the Lord put the words to “Everlasting God” on my tongue. Bryan introduced us to that song about a month ago, and since then I have not quit singing it. That is a good thing, because the words are so powerful. I know other runners were humored by my singing.
Here are the words:
"Everlasting God"Strength will rise as we wait upon the LordWe will wait upon the LordWe will wait upon the Lord_______________________________Our God, You reign foreverOur hope, our Strong DelivererYou are the everlasting GodThe everlasting GodYou do not faintYou won't grow weary_______________________________Our God, You reign foreverOur hope, our Strong DelivererYou are the everlasting GodThe everlasting GodYou do not faintYou won't grow weary_______________________________You're the defender of the weakYou comfort those in needYou lift us up on wings like eagles.
The chorus to that song is my favorite.
Other than the experience I had at mile 4, the next biggest moment of when I “saw God” was when I passed Scott Rigsby at mile 18. Scott is a double amputee who was attempting to break the world record for the fastest marathon by a double amputee. It was a God moment for me because I was really struggling at that point. Watching him exert so much energy on artificial legs motivated me to quit whining and keep running.
Another moment when I “saw God” was when I was greeted by Vonda, and some other CrossPointers at mile 21. Thankfully I asked her to have a banana and a bottle of Gatorade ready for me to consume. The timing was perfect. For some strange reason, the race director communication broke down and they were only served water on the course. Thus, by the time I reached Vonda my body was in dire need of some potassium and electrolytes.
Of course, the final time I “saw God” was when I crossed the finish line and held my hands in the air to give Him praise. I quoted Isaiah 57:15 and said, “Thank you, Lord. To Your name be the glory!”
I am so glad the minister who led in the morning invocation challenged us to “look for God” that day. I looked for Him and I found Him.
Today, I challenge you to look for God. As the minister said, He’s is out there and you will find Him if you look for Him.
Just out of curiosity, I would like to know of a time when you “saw God”. Please share your stories with me.
4 comments:
I have to share this God moment. I was praying for Connie's mom. She at the time is in the hospital surrounded by uncertainty. As I finished the prayer the phone rings, literally as I finish it rings. It is her brother and they have diagnosed the problem and they are sending her home. How awsome is that.
CW
If you have had a child, then you know that in those moments of child birth when you catch the first glimpse of your baby- God is there. I saw Him both times and am still amazed to see Him at certain times when I watch my children sleep, play and interact with their elders.
I don't know if you read the thank you note that I sent to my Family Ties Bible Studay class, but I have "seen God" multiple times over the last several weeks during my surgery, hospital stay and the week or so to follow. I don't know why I didn't expect my church family to minister in the way that they did, but they way far exceeded my expectations and my dreams. God has spoken through them so many times. I was always one of the loudest supporters of our class’s mantra of “Family Ties”. I said we were a family, but I never really understood its meaning first hand. Part of my daily conversations with God is thanking Him for His blessings, but I realized one glorious morning on the way to work that a lot of the time that was just lip service. I was never truly thankful. Today, I am truly thankful and awe-inspired by His gift of Family Ties and my family at Crosspoint. What an impact just a phone call or card will do for someone! Just think what will happen for the kingdom of God if we will do that for our Just One More!
Rhonda Shelton
It's obvious if we will just look for God, we will find Him. When we find Him, we will recognize He's been looking for us all this time. That is why I believe David wrote, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
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