A natural-born skeptic, I spent a long season of my life searching hard for God, daring him to prove his existence in real and tangible ways that my intellect and senses could receive.
Though skepticism may always be a thorn in my flesh, God did show up in the ways I needed, even if they weren’t the ways I expected. He still does.
Instead of proof-texts and desert flames, he sent ordinary people who embodied the heartbeat and service of Christ.
Regular folks who showed up to love us and feed us, to care for our children, to anonymously cover expenses, to listen long, to draw water and let us drink in their counsel, hard-won from their own desert places and barren seasons. Loving community to love us and help us as we were, even if we never became who we hoped to be.
Less like buttoned-up experts telling us how to straighten up and fly right. More like “beggars telling others beggars where to find bread.”
Our needs may look different now, at least for the moment, our life more stable than earlier times of acute crisis and uncertainty. But God continues to reveal that he is there and he is not silent.
I’ve quit pining after air-tight apologetics because he keeps showing up in my life and in the lives of those around me in ways that you simply couldn’t script—always personal and unexpected, like the last batter of the underdog team sliding into home base.
Less like pillars of fire and smoke. More like a dusty victory cloud of Carolina dirt.
If you’ve been squinting toward the horizon or gazing up at ivory towers, desperate for evidence of God from lofty people and places, might I encourage you to look a little closer to home?
Jesus himself, God made flesh, might already be there—loving you through ordinary people, leading you with everyday guidance, sustaining you with daily grace. Against all odds. ❤️
……….
*The graphic quote is inspired from p.73 in The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe about Ourselves by @curtthompsonmd
*Beggar quote attributed to Martin Luther
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