Have you ever gone on a God Hunt? A God Hunt begins when you teach yourself to look for God’s hand at work in the every day occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:
When I am downtown in our little city of West Chicago (30 miles due west from the Chicago city limits), I always pop into St. Vincent de Paul’s resale shop. Thursdays are senior-discount day—15% off the price, which is somewhat ridiculous considering how low the prices are already.
Yesterday, I was driving home from a morning appointment, parked in front (I play this little game with myself: If there is a space, then I will stop and run in). I found a pair of wedged-heel shoes—no wear on the heals or the lining, no scuffs on the leather—for $3.99 minus 15%—a bargain to say the least.
I checked the free day-old bread that generally fills an old laundry cart, chose two loaves of good five-grain sliced wheat and a plastic bag filled with Indian naan. My attention, however, was drawn to a stack of boxes. I heard the checkout clerk say to a gentleman, “Take a whole box if you have someone you can give them to.”
Inside each box were four big vacuum-compressed plastic bags of chopped lettuce—still in good shape, without any browning on the cut edges. I guessed that these were extra boxes of produce of a kind delivered by a restaurant supplier. I took a whole box, and it was only after I put them in the car that I remembered our entire family will be together for four days—all 18 of us. The cut lettuce would be a great base for green salads. And, we had decided just to go for make-your-own sandwiches for lunches.
Before I had consciously made the connection, the gifts were there. How like God. He gives us what we need before we ask for it. The trick with this truth is to be ready to receive the gifts that we don’t know we will be needing.
Oh dear—I let the beautiful armchairs, upholstered in a gorgeous oriental fabric, $35 for both, get past me because I couldn’t think where to use them—this despite the inner nudge that said, Pick them up. You’ll be sorry.
I didn’t get them and I was sorry—they would have been beautiful in the Global Bag Project office. Same with the weird shelf brackets: Pick them up. This is a gift.
I didn’t, and now I’m looking for something just like them for the front office. They would have been perfect to display the Chinese screen that I now can’t find anything to hang on. Let’s don’t talk about the red-lacquered bookcases I let go and went back to buy when my daughter lamented, “Oh, Mother, we need bookcases. Do you think they will still be there?” They weren’t.
So, I am trying to learn: Listen to that inner nudge. This is not greed. This is simply God urging you to get what you don’t know you’ll need, but He knows you will. He answers before we ask.
I did pick up that wonderful fabric, signed and mounted, tied-dyed and stained piece that hangs in the basement and delights my eye every time I see it ($7.00). I’m learning to shop with God.
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Award-winning author Karen Mains has long had an interest in spiritual formation and the obedient Christian walk. She has written about the God Hunt in her book by the same name, The God Hunt: The Delightful Chase and the Wonder of Being Found. A hardback copy can be ordered from Mainstay Ministries for $10.00 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. Contact Karen at info@mainstayministries.org and she will be happy to autograph a copy for you.
Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags, Africa bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. They are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.