John 6:22-24. A funny little passage of scripture this morning. A transition really. Almost a throw away. Yet it spoke so much to me. Such is God's powerful Word. Not one word is without meaning and life.
Jesus has gone off to be alone. The disciples are out in a boat. Those are the big stories, chocked full of miracles. This is about the crowd that was left behind. And then they realized something. That alone made me pause. What do I need to realize? What are those seemingly insignificant moments I need to realize, to pay attention. Those moments filled with the Presence of God. I am reminded of the quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees takes off his shoes.
The earth indeed is crammed with heaven. That is why I am working on slowing down. To take notice. Take off my shoes and enjoy! To give thanks, as Jesus did when He was about to hand out the loaves to feed the 5,000 before they ate and were satisfied.
I guess what struck me this morning is I need to realize what Jesus has done and what He is doing even right this second. Am I present in the moment to see, to realize that He is at work, He is always at work, as He points out in John 5:7? Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at work to this very day, and I, too, am working." Our Lord, our Creator, the Lover of our soul in our midst, always at work. What an amazing reality! Do I realize it? Do I live like it? In the mundane moments? The stressful times? The times of questioning and of suffering? Do I look? Do I look hard enough? Do I slow down enough to see? Do I take time to give thanks?
The crowd went searching for Jesus. I look too. I'm working on slowing down. Being present. Trying to be as helpful as He would have me be and not more. Obedient, living in His love. I fall short, struggle and strain. But Lord, You are so faithful, patient, forgiving and kind to me as I seek your Face.
I praise you for Your loving-kindness. Demands clamor at me. Life is full of tricks and turns. Heartache. Distraction. Lord, You see. You see it all. You hear the cries of your people.
Have mercy Lord. Have mercy on us as we are lost without You. Thank you for hearing me. For being with me, always, to the end. Help me to remain in You, as You are never far from me.
