Sensing God's Presence

     Last night my patio was beckoning me to sit and enjoy a time of rest and a quiet cup of coffee at and the end of a long week, a long Friday.  A gentle breeze was blowing what appeared to be rain filled clouds across the sky. In the distance lighting flashed, and out of habit I began to count...one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi...until I heard the thunder.  The final number reached is theoretically the number of miles away the storm is from my location. The rain came in slowly with the first sounds of droplets hitting the patio pavement followed by the splashing sounds of heavy rain. A light mist fell on my face and the air smelled of rain as it soaked my surroundings. I breathed in deeply and absorbed the moment. This was the first time this week I had been consciously in touch with all five senses in a positive aspect.  The sense of "feeling," with that feeling being pain, had dominated most of my week after a minor (but painful) foot surgery.

     I fear that constant, daily distractions compete for my attention and overwhelm the blessing of enjoying all that God has supplied as fodder for my five senses. Peace and relaxation that had eluded me all week were found on my patio-- the taste of a good cup of coffee, warm in my hands (with lots of creamer!), the sound of thunder and raindrops, the feeling and smell of rain, the sight of lightning flashing across the sky. It was as though God had used this storm blowing through to push my reset button and give me a heightened awareness of His presence and power, to remind me that He is here in everything, all the time. I do not need the proverbial "writing on the wall" to affirm that.  I needed but to engage my five senses, my attention and time to affirm that truth. 

   Words from a song our church youth choir sang came to me tonight, and I sang it softly to God. "I've seen it in the lightening, heard it in the thunder, and felt it in the rain.  My Lord is near me all the time.  My Lord is near me all the time."  This fact holds true whether the storm we face is one observed for enjoyment or one in which we find ourselves embroiled and thrown about in its fury.  God is still there.  "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) Perhaps we should include as well all five God given senses!   I pray God's blessing on you all.  To God Be the Glory!