God Is in the Ordinary, Too

I think sometimes we accidentally start believing that God is most present in the big moments.

We look for Him in the answered prayer we have been waiting months for, the breakthrough that finally comes, the unmistakable direction, the healing, the miracle or the moment when everything suddenly makes sense. Those moments are incredible, and I am certainly not going to pretend I don't love them. There is something amazing about watching God move in a way that leaves absolutely no question that He was there.

But most of life isn't lived on the mountaintop.

Most of life happens while we're making dinner, folding laundry, driving to the grocery store, answering another email, watering the garden and trying to remember why we walked into a room in the first place.

And God is there, too.

We Don't Have to Wait for the Big Moment

I've been thinking about how easy it is to spend our lives waiting for something. We wait for the prayer to be answered, the situation to change, the next season to begin or the thing we've been working toward to finally happen.

Sometimes we become so focused on what we're asking God to do next that we miss what He's doing right now.

There are blessings tucked into incredibly ordinary moments.

A conversation that makes you laugh harder than you have in weeks. Someone checking on you at exactly the right time. A quiet morning when your heart finally feels peaceful. Wildflowers growing somewhere nobody planted them. Dinner around a table with people you love. The sun coming through the trees just right.

None of those things are necessarily miraculous.

But they aren't meaningless either.

Maybe we don't always need God to send us something extraordinary. Maybe sometimes we simply need eyes that recognize Him in what is already here.

Joy Is Holy, Too

Faith can become very serious.

We talk about trials, spiritual battles, obedience, surrender and perseverance and we should. Scripture certainly doesn't shy away from the difficult parts of following God.

But the Bible also tells us to rejoice.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

I love that joy, prayer and gratitude are sitting right there together.

There is something deeply spiritual about recognizing goodness while you're living it.

Laughing with your people can be worship.

Watching a sunset can become prayer.

Sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and thanking God for another morning can be sacred.

Enjoying the life He has given you doesn't mean you're ignoring the hard things. You can carry something difficult and still laugh until your stomach hurts. You can be waiting on an answer and still enjoy today. You can have prayers that haven't been answered yet and still recognize that God has already given you so much to be grateful for.

Joy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

Sometimes joy simply means the hard thing doesn't get to have all of you.

God Is in the Middle

We tend to tell testimonies from the other side.

We talk about what God did after we know how the story ended. We can point backward and see where He opened a door, protected us, redirected us or carried us through something we didn't think we'd survive.

But right now, some of us are still somewhere in the middle.

The prayer hasn't been answered yet. The direction isn't completely clear. There are things we're still trying to understand and pieces that haven't fallen into place.

That doesn't mean God hasn't shown up.

He is just as present in the middle of the story as He is at the end of it.

Maybe today there isn't a giant breakthrough. Maybe nothing happens that you'll someday stand on a stage and tell hundreds of people about.

Maybe today is simply a Wednesday.

And maybe that's enough.

Because God isn't only the God of our mountaintops. He is the God of our kitchens and gardens, our car rides and conversations, our laughter and tears, our beginnings and our messy middles.

He's the God of the moments we photograph and the ones nobody else ever sees.

Don't Miss Today Looking for Tomorrow

There will always be something else we're praying for.

There will always be another goal, another question, another thing we'd like God to change and another place we'd like to reach.

But today is happening right now.

So pray about what's coming. Believe God for the impossible. Keep walking toward whatever He has placed on your heart.

But look around while you're doing it.

Notice the people beside you. Laugh loudly. Eat the good food. Sit outside a little longer. Watch the sunset. Call someone you love. Thank God for the tiny things that would actually feel enormous if they suddenly disappeared.

Faith isn't just trusting God for where He's taking us.

Sometimes faith is opening our eyes and realizing He's already here.