Where are you today? At home? At work? Shoveling? Walking the beach? Holding the hand of someone you love in the hospital room? In bed, wishing for the energy to get up?
Pull in closer … there are some words of encouragement for you here.
God is in every moment.
Wherever you are, God is there.
God is in this moment is a phrase I’m learning to whisper frequently throughout the day. Whether it’s a good moment or a horrible moment, God’s presence never leaves. He is there.
I whispered it while I was out walking. Although the frozen tundra called Minnesota had warmed up from its frigid temperatures, and the wind chills that sliced through our bodies had calmed down, it was still cold. My breath showed up in front of my face as I whispered, God is in this moment.
When much deeper life-slicing events happened, I whispered them again.
Friends who received disappointing news, who were sitting in hospital rooms, whose family situations were becoming unimaginable.
I whispered to and for them, God is in this moment.
When I’m upset by something I hear on the news and feel my emotions get triggered and my frustration level hits the max button, I remember, God is in this moment.
When I’m having a difficult conversation and the tension is elevated, I remind myself, God is in this moment.
Whispering the phrase may not change the situation, but it will change you.
Here’s the promise we can cling to, straight from God’s heart:
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
You know what I love about those words? What I feel does not matter. It’s not requiring me to do something to keep Him with me. I can be yelling at God, blaming God, begging God, arguing with God, or convinced that He’s forgotten all about me, and nothing sends Him away. My words and hurt don’t scare Him or annoy Him. He is always with me. Loving me. Caring for me. Holding me.
Knowing that God is PRESENT wherever I am helps keep my thinking in perspective. It also calms my heart, so I don’t react inappropriately (body language, words, snarky thoughts in my own head – you know what I mean).
Is life a bit wonky today? Maybe it’s just all too much.
Rest assured. God is in this moment.
He never leaves.
He never quits.
Say it out loud. Cry it into your pillow. Whisper it to your friend.
God is in this moment.
And He will walk you through it.
P.S. If today is a tough one, listen to this song by Steven Curtis Chapman, “His Strength is Perfect.”
