Wilderness

Ever felt like you were walking on the path of life by yourself? At times we all feel alone and left out in the wilderness to find our own way. When we are alone like this it is very hard to see God in anything. We complain, we get worried, we get frustrated, we get overcome with fear. This is why I love the story of Israel coming out of slavery and being in the wilderness. They had the same worries and fears, yet God was all around them. God provided for them, but it was hard for them to see exactly how God was working.

God spoke to Moses, "I've listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: 'At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you'll eat your fill of bread; and you'll realize that I am God, your God.'"
That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.
So Moses told them, "It's the bread God has given you to eat. And these are God's instructions: 'Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.'"
The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren't short—each person had gathered as much as was needed.

Exodus 16:11-18

Sometimes the things that seem so common in our lives, a quail flying over and dew covering the ground in the morning, is proof of God's presence with us. We are all much like the people here that need some kind of proof that God is there, some kind of miracle that lets us know that God will never leave us. It is hard for us to see the "coincidences" of our lives as God "showing up." God is always there, God is right here right now as you read these words. God has not gone anywhere, but our thoughts and our perceptions and our realizations do move. We seem to forget that God is everywhere and if we count ourselves as Christ followers, we have said that we realize that God is there for us. Remember today. Begin to notice that those things we call coincidences are really God's perfection showing up. Leaving ten minutes late for work and being mad about it, but then you pass a wreck that just occured - coincidence? Thinking of someone you would really love to talk to and then they call or email you - coincidence? If you feel like you are in the wilderness today, remember that God is right there in every situation and that the things that are happening are signs that God is there, it is just a matter of where you place your attention and your thoughts. Choose this day to place your attention, your thoughts, on seeing the "coincidences" of your life as situations that God is "perfectly aligning" because that is the real meaning of coincidence or coincide. See how God is showing up today as you walk in the wilderness.

Namaste'