God Was In This Place, And I Did Not Know It

There is a beautiful story in the Old Testament about a man named Jacob, who was known to have wrestled with God in the midnight hour. After one particular dream, Jacob awoke with a spiritual limp, saying, "The Lord was here, and I didn't know it."

As I reflect on my journey with God, there were times when I had resigned to the inevitable conclusion that I had been abandoned by the One who had promised to never leave me. I felt so alone, and rejected. I felt cold and hot in the same blanket of shame. I was convinced that my own inner prison was enough to keep the Lord at a guilty distance. As if He were content to let me wallow in my darkness.

But as I look back in the rearview mirror, I see 'goodness and mercy' following me. At every exit, a ransom. In every burning bridge - a fountain of blood. He has been there in the pursuit, and He is furiously relentless in the rescue mission.

The Lord was here, and I didn't know it.

How many times have you become frozen in a moment? Have you ever experienced the cosmic pause of a Creator wooing you by a gentle wind, or the laughter of children running through the summer grass? You can't explain it; the stillness of His whisper (screaming in full volume) love, love, love.

The Lord was here, and I didn't know it.

Have you ever walked away from a car accident that should have brought your end?

How many times have you been abruptly awoken from a deep sleep, convinced in the shaking by a gentle hand?
You turn to look around, and realize it was just a dream... or was it?

Have you ever be tranquilized by the awe of a sunrise against the backdrop of a Michigan blizzard?
Or the crash of a thunderous wave against the Outer Banks during Hurricane Season?
You are left disoriented and confused by the rampage of a furious Force, calling your name.

The Lord was here, and I didn't know it.

May you slow down long enough to notice the burning bush, and the whisper of a God who is calling you to a deeper intimacy through the awareness of His Presence.

And you might want to take off your shoes in recognition that this ground is sacred. Because He has been here since the beginning, and your arrival is late.