Ever have a moment where the sweetness and presence of God overwhelms you? We look for it in worship... we expect it in church... we seek it in our prayer time... but do we look for it in the seemingly ordinary, mundane moments in our lives? A favorite verse for many is Jeremiah 29:11... "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." But if we stop reading there... we miss a couple of key verses that make this passage so powerful: "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13 What a beautiful picture of God's desire for us to become the person he created us to be and his perfect love for us as we learn to trust and be in relationship with him. One evening our family was playing corn hole in the backyard. The night was a Tuesday, normal and ordinary, except it was a beautiful evening - perfect temperature, light breeze, and gorgeous sky. Laughter and light competition surrounded our game, and it is a night I will never forget. All of a sudden I heard the quiet voice of the Lord "This is what you were fighting for - moments like these." God quickly reminded me about a difficult time in our marriage that had left me feeling empty many years earlier. When we are in a struggle we often lose sight of the reward, prize or goal at the end. My goal was obviously to stay married and have a healthy relationship, but God wanted so much more for us... he wanted to give us a hope and a future! As we sought him with all of our hearts, he mended the brokenness in us and our marriage. And in that ordinary Tuesday night he stepped in again to remind me that this evening wouldn't have been possible without trusting Him with our future. He took a simple moment and used it to create gratitude in my heart. It isn't the big goal or prize that we should be focused on, but instead how his love gives us exactly what we need... and sometimes it is a simple game of corn hole on a beautiful Tuesday night. Friends, trust him to give you exactly what you need... it will be a blessing!
