God is always with us, and yet He doesn’t push in and fill our lives if He’s unwanted. There are often little things that happen, though, to tell us He is present; that we don’t have to “do it alone.” Those little, quiet reminders encourage us, help us, even save lives.
The Silent Moon
Rebecca was discouraged. She had lived in San Diego for nearly 10 years and found the town so delightful, so weather-pleasant, so right. But circumstances were pointing to an obvious move back home to Pennsylvania with a four-season climate she’d loved as a child, but also with a rural lifestyle limiting employment possibilities. She wasn’t excited about returning to that lifestyle, but she could not continue to live in California.
Rebecca was driving home one day and stopped at a traffic signal, waiting for the light to turn green. She sighed, feeling tired, then noticed the moon shining brightly in the inky night sky. It suddenly reminded her that the Creator God, who formed that moon and set it in motion, was in charge. She was comforted, feeling His presence in her life. Rebecca asked Him to take care of her wherever she went.
A Little Leaf
Carol was doing God’s will, working as a missionary in Cambodia, sharing her many talents and doing what she could. But the extreme lifestyle change was dragging her down. It was overwhelming. Tiring.
One hot, difficult day she sat helping her optometrist husband fit glasses to patients who could never afford to purchase them. The work was very challenging because of the language barrier. She wondered if it was worth the effort.
With the temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and humidity closing in around her like a smothering blanket, she was amazed to see a tiny green leaf fall into her lap. That tiny leaf was surviving all the oppressive heat and humidity. That tiny leaf was God’s voice saying, “Child, I care about you, and I am here.”
Suddenly Carol knew she could survive and thrive in Cambodia. God would help her do her best—even exceed her best—to complete projects that would move forward His presence in this country. Suddenly she knew she was supposed to be here, helping.
Hilda’s Son
Mothers are never far from their children in mind and spirit. Hilda was ironing shirts; her son was miles away. As she recalls, she was suddenly interrupted in her tedious chore by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, telling her that she needed to pray for her son immediately. She did so, not knowing why, but she thought of her son, prayed for him, and suddenly felt a calming feeling.
Weeks later she had forgotten all about that moment, but it came back to her while she was talking with her son. He told her he’d been so discouraged that he was thinking about running in the road in front of a car—ending his life. But as he was standing there by the roadside, he said, a pair of bluebirds caught his attention, flashing their bright colors before his eyes and reminding him that God brought that beautiful pair together and cared for them, ordered their lives—and that He felt the same way about him too. Even more, he realized that God cared, was present, was concerned, and wanted to help him. He felt that God wanted to make his life better, to bring him joy and encouragement, to let him know that he wasn’t alone. He didn’t have to “do it alone.”
Three stories. Three different names and circumstances. They are small, quiet reminders that God’s presence can make a big difference in our lives. He wants to help us. All we need to do is ask.
B. J. Hearns writes from Reedsville, Pennsylvania.
