Archives for February 2013

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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:

I noticed one of the young moms—part of the group of us signed up to go standby—herding three kids, two teens and a preteen, at the gate where we were waiting to see if any of us would make it out on the first plane that left from San Francisco to Chicago. Her little group did not make the first plane, nor the 6:55 morning flight. At the next gate she was offered space if they wanted to split up, “No way,” she said, with her kids echoing her comments. “We’re going to stick together!”

Waiting at the 10:30 flight gate, I noticed that her standby party of four were called for first-class seats. A cheer of delight went up from them. Standing nearby, she smiled at me. “Well, that was worth the wait.” We started to chat, and I asked her several questions about flying on these passes. The first was: How do you get your name up to the front of the list?

“Oh, don’t even try. There’s a seniority system in the airlines. The longer you’ve worked, the higher your name goes on the list.” Well, that was a help. It spared me all kinds of fruitless effort.

Do you sign up for several flights yourself? “You’re not supposed to, but sometimes I do,” she admitted.

She talked about taking planes to less-busy airports, then flying on to busier destinations of choice. “We’re actually on our way to Paris for the week long vacation.” We all remarked on how much we loved that city. Their intent was to spend a day in Chicago, then go through London and take the Channel to Paris. A friend had said to her, “Oh, no. You should fly to Frankfort. We have plenty of flights that go there. Then you take the train back to Paris.”

I began to realize there was a whole lore I needed to learn regarding traveling standby.

“How are your kids with all this?”

“Aw, they’re used to it.” Actually, I hadn’t seen the typical sighs, raised brows or rolled eyes that generally signal, “These kids have had it and are beginning to mount a rebellion.”

“No,” she continued. “They’ve learned to roll with the punches, be flexible. We just think it’s a great adventure.”

After my name was called for the same flight, I thought some about this bright and eager woman. Actually, much of life is like flying standby. We think we have a ticket that will enable us to travel where we want to go, but really we’re just waiting in line until a space opens for us. The door to some jet-way opens. Opportunity presents itself suddenly; we can choose it or lose it. Our name has been called—or not. We can roll with the punches, become extraordinarily flexible, or we can gripe and complain, whine and lament that the travel through the days has not gone as we expected.

I decided that for this entire year of traveling standby, with no guarantees that I would actually get on the winging toward where I was trying to go, that I would adopt this woman’s and her children’s attitude. It’s an adventure. I will choose to trust that the Lord will get me where He needs me when He needs me to get there. And if my name is not called, I’d believe that the timing was all under his control. But I would keep my eyes open as to what kind of alternate travel scheme He might have in mind.

I determined that I would learn to work in the airport, on crowded airplanes, that I would force myself to use the Kindle my daughter gave me to cut down on the amount of books I haul from the to-read pile. I vowed I would learn to do more on my 4G phone than just make and receive calls. This way my travel time would be productive, and I would just leave the journeying mechanisms up to God.

This morning I signed in for the first flight to Miami. There was lots of room on a rather small plane; I had two seats to spread out in. I’ve written three blogs, counting this one, am powering up my Kindle, have called the office four times and left work for the staff, am carrying out communiqués via texts, have navigated the Miami International Airport, going through the parking lot from Terminal G to Terminal D, rather than around the walkway—a much longer jaunt while hauling a suitcase, briefcase, coat and purse. I still have another three hours to finish tasks, have lunch, and get myself to gate D4 for a 5:40 flight, meet the rest of the film crew, then take off for the Dominican Republic, where we are scheduled to land at 8 o’clock this evening.

Traveling with God is always an adventure, whether it is because you have a reservation or are going standby. I’ve decided I’m just going to live in that reality. Let’s see what amazing things He does with me and this standby pass.

I spy 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.

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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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:

My whole trip from Chicago to Modesto, California only cost $10.50—and that was my ticket for the Bay Area Rapid Transit from San Francisco to the end of the line at Dublin/Pleasanton where I was picked up by my hostess for that night.

By God’s great grace, “buddy” passes have been made available to David and me for this year; for only the cost of the taxes, we can fly anywhere this airline flies, in the States and overseas. So far there have been no taxes on any of my stateside flights.

Over January and February, David and I will have traveled miles worth the amount of $2800. The projections for March total about the same.

However, leaving San Francisco on Friday and what became Saturday morning was not quite such a positive experience. After my board meeting and a two-hour drive hitched with one of my colleagues, I waited in line at a very crowded gate for the red-eye flight that was scheduled to leave at 10:05 p.m., arriving in Chicago at 5:30 the next morning.

There were eleven names in front of me on the posted standby list, the flight was listed as full, and I began to have increasing doubts about making it out that night. Parents were waiting with their kids, grandparents were smiling indulgently at their rambunctious grandchildren, and I suddenly realized that it was the Presidents’ Day holiday. One mother explained, “The kids have the whole week off school, so we are heading out.”

Not such a great idea, planning to fly standby on a holiday weekend. One final red-eye was scheduled to leave from a gate nearby, so when names of the standby passengers who did not make the 10:05 flight were deleted from the public screen, I rushed to the gate of the 10:10 flight, only to find the door was closed. “Too bad,” said the gate attendant. “There was one empty seat left on the plane.”

I determined that from that point on, I would be just a little bit more proactive. If my instincts told me to move fast (the gate attendants are supposed to automatically roll the surplus names along to the next flight), I might make a point of showing up and questioning the fact of an available space by myself. My name had not been rolled over in time.

Earlier, because I arrived at the airport around 5:30 p.m., I had scoped out what I thought was a secluded spot behind a check-in counter with a row of seats without armrests. If I had to spend the night in the airport (thinking it would defeat the purpose of free airline passes if I spent the night in a nearby airport, wouldn’t it?), this was the space to plop. I hauled my leather tote, taking squatter’s rights over the empty corner, used my tote as a pillow and spread the blue wool shawl given to me by a dear friend. It was perfect blanket for a 70-year-old woman airplane-stranded due to too many holiday travelers.

I discovered that airports after 12 o’clock at night are not quiet places. The overhead lights stay on; I pulled out my eye shades, earplugs and stretched the wool blanket over my head. I still could hear the extraordinarily loud automatic announcements that rotated every five minutes. They were now even louder because there were no passengers coming and going through the aisles and gates: “Contact security if you notice any abandoned luggage…” “Subway sandwich stays open between 12:00 and 4:00. You will have to re-enter at Security when it opens.”

A group of night workers congregated in the gate area where I was attempting to sleep. Washrooms were getting cleaned; busy vacuums sucked up debris on the carpets and bare floors; carts with their beeping signals hastened back and forth on the tarmacs outside my windows; gated airplanes were being straightened inside and their tiny kitchens stocked for the early-morning departures.

I thought of all the people in the world who sleep in the transit centers that take folk here and there, back and forth, to business or to family gatherings—buses and trains and airplanes that carry hopeful travelers on the adventure of going on holiday.

Why was I sleeping in this airport? Why hadn’t I found a hotel? After all, all the other travelers waiting in line had gone somewhere—maybe home, maybe to more comfortable lounges I didn’t know about. While trying to fall asleep, I considered this question. I hate to spend money if I don’t have to—reason number one. In addition, by the time I found a hotel, took transportation to a hotel, checked in, got to my room and into bed, there would only be a few hours for me to sleep. Reason #2: I hate security check-ins! I’d rather sleep in an airport (particularly if I can stretch out) than go through those security lines again. Most of all, I wanted to be in the standby line early (6:05 a.m.) to see if I could take the first flight home.

I was content to sleep, like so many other thousands, in a transit center—at least for one night, but I did wonder slightly, dozing in and out of wakefulness, why the Lord hadn’t nudged me onto that empty seat to Chicago. And if not me, why not one of the other standby passengers eager to leave?

I spy God!

————————————————————————————–

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.

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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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:

This week Karen is in the Dominican Republic directing a film shoot for Medical Ambassadors International. She would appreciate your prayers as you read these blogs. Filming in another country, on a low budget and without knowing the language can be tricky indeed. Shoot crews are well aware of their need for God’s help. Thank you.

Our “Read and Intercede” book club meets the second Sunday of each month. The assignment for last week’s reading was A Grain of Wheat by Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. It is a powerful book that deals with four days leading up to Kenya’s Uhuru—Independence Day.

Because I had been laid low by an allergy, I hadn’t been able to read the book, so on Sunday afternoon, the day of our nightly monthly meeting—I gobbled the pages, realizing I was violating the principle of good reading. A great book deserves to be chewed slowly; without a doubt this was a great book.

Bruce Duncan led the discussion. His questions helped us see things we hadn’t seen and to think about things we hadn’t thought about. I was so intrigued by the characters, the construction and the narrative, that I finished the last two chapters early in the wee hours of Monday morning—a nap had crowded out my afternoon hours on Sunday—after the thirty-some people in our small group left after a pancake breakfast.

Then as David was dressing, I read aloud the Introduction by Abdulrazak Gurnah. This writer explicated A Grain of Wheat with provocatively powerful comments about colonialism—many of which are entirely appropriate to today.

Gurnah talks about the rising British District Officer (DO) John Thompson, who loses his idealism through the corrupting practices he employs as the commander of a detention camp in which 11 inmates die of torture. “From idealist he becomes a torturer, forcing confessions out of the detainees by any means possible, because that is the true meaning of colonial rule. Like Kurtz (in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness) Thompson comes to learn that violence and coercion are his unavoidable means. … Thompson, then, is offered not only as a critique of colonial methods but of the whole narrative of imperialism, which prefers the grandiose, lying language of progress to the ‘horror’ of its actual practice.”

“Oh my,” I said to my husband who was standing at the bathroom sink, shaving and listening as I read. “Is this any different than what we are facing in America today? The words we use about our ideals are belied by the reality of the way we treat each other.”

Then I came across a quote I just had to write out in my prayer journal. (I mentioned this quote in a previous blog post.) The character Marlow, in Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim, remarks, “It is my belief that no man ever understands quite his own artful dodges to escape from the grim shadow of self-knowledge.” Psalm 51 says the same thing, in a different way: “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”

Out of an evening of discussion, and a short reading in the morning, the Lord gave me two gifts—one a powerful critique of our modern societies’ ways of telling stories about themselves that keeps them from facing their own reality. The other is a powerful encapsulating of our whole human dilemma of delusion. That one I used in a donor letter and a blog (see February 19th).

Thank you, God, for shaking my thinking (and giving me something to write about).

I spy God!

————————————————————————————–

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.

Share this Article

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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:

This week Karen is in the Dominican Republic directing a film shoot for Medical Ambassadors International. She would appreciate your prayers as you read these blogs. Filming in another country, on a low budget and without knowing the language can be tricky indeed. Shoot crews are well aware of their need for God’s help. Thank you.

During the Ash Wednesday service, the Episcopal priest in the little stone chapel of St. Mark’s directed us to The Great Litany. “It’s grounding for the soul,” he said, “to read and consider a prayer that was written over 500 years ago.”

The Great Litany goes on for five pages, quite a length for an early Wednesday morning, in addition to the ceremony of the imposition of ashes, which was followed by a traditional Eucharistic service.

The Rector was right: It is grounding to read the words written over 500 years ago. Let me quote just a few of the prayers for those of you who do not have an Episcopal Book of Common Prayer at your fingertips.

“Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins. Spare us good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and by the mercy preserve us for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.

“From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.

“From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want of charity,
Good Lord, deliver us.”

About now, one half-page into the Litany, I have more than I can handle. I am overwhelmed by my need. Last year, I read one of these sections for each of the 50 days of Lent leading up to Easter. Believe me, the work in my life was deep and manifold.

“From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.

“From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.

“From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine,
Good Lord, deliver us.

“From all oppression, conspiracy, and rebellion; from violence, battle, and murder; and from dying suddenly and unprepared,
Good Lord, deliver us.”

Well, we have finished the first page. Quite a bit to meditate on, isn’t it? I agree with the Rector of St. Mark’s: It does our soul good to reflect on the words of a 500-year-old prayer.

I spy God!

————————————————————————————–

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.

Share this Article

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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:

This week Karen is in the Dominican Republic directing a film shoot for Medical Ambassadors International. She would appreciate your prayers as you read these blogs. Filming in another country, on a low budget and without knowing the language can be tricky indeed. Shoot crews are well aware of their need for God’s help. Thank you.

In small things do we see His hand. I need to fly into the Dominican Republic, go through immigration and pick up my baggage. I am scheduled to arrive at 8:40 in Santiago and will probably complete all the arrival complications by 9:30. Then I am supposed to make my way to the curb, through a crowd of milling Dominicans who are waiting for family and friends, find a taxi, ride off into the approaching midnight with this cabbie stranger and direct him to the hotel without my knowing a modicum of Spanish beyond “Ola!” and “¿Cuál es su nombre?” (“What is your name?”)

Today, however, five days before I am supposed to depart, I was working up a day schedule for the shoot. When I entered the arrival times of the crew, of myself or of the principles, I realized I was scheduled to arrive in Santiago about the same time as the videographer and the sound man.

“Is there any possibility that we will be arriving on the same plane?” I shot off in an e-mail inquiry. Sure enough, the two film guys and I are scheduled to fly out of Miami on the same flight.

I praise God for His manifold loving provisions, for His care. Today (I am writing on Ash Wednesday), the Scripture read in the liturgy this morning reminded me:

	The people:	We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
	The liturgist:	That it may please Thee to inspire us, in our several callings, to do the work which thou givest us to do with singleness of heart as Thy servants, and for the common good.
:
	The people:	We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
	The liturgist:	That it may please Thee to preserve all who are in danger by reason of their labor or their travel.

Male companions in a taxi for a night ride is a small thing, but I am not so small before the Lord that I am not worthy enough to be a recipient of His loving care.

I spy God!

————————————————————————————–

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.

Share this Article

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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:

Dick Ryan, the director of Inter Varsity’s outreach to art students on campuses across the country, arranged for me to be part of the team that seeks to encourage professionals in art-related fields to mentor these young and eager creators. So the last week of January, after traveling in Mexico and then going on with my husband to visit sites for a film shoot in the Dominican Republic, I arrived at Armerding Hall on the campus of Wheaton College, with an active allergy that had been blasted into my system by the pollen, smog, car emissions, etc. that settles in the valley where the city of Santiago rests and doesn’t go away.

It was a wonderful day, and the lectures, conversations with other professional mentors, as well as exchanges with the art students, reminded me how little of this I have right now and how much I miss and need it. I also spent eight years of my life serving on the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship board of directors, where I learned to know and love many of the IV campus staff. How wonderful to be interacting again, even briefly, with these young adults who’ve given up careers that could have been much more profitable financially in order to dialogue with and introduce Christ to the students in our country’s university systems.

At the end of the day, we were led in worship by a young man who played the harp. I have actually never seen this before—praise and worship music backed by harp music. He explained that all were welcome to bring their art discipline into the worship experience. Papers had been hung on the walls for those who chose to paint or draw. Musicians were invited to bring their instruments or voice to the platform and join in. “And if you dance, please feel free to dance in the aisles or up here with me.”

It took a little while for the arts students in the audience to warm up to the idea, but eventually some began working on the papers on the walls, a young woman took her violin from its case, and in time many of us were content to sit in our seats and join in the worship in our own way.

This whole Saturday, due to my very active allergy, I went through the schedule with a box of tissues in one hand and a pocketful of cough drops. As much as I enjoyed the day and luxuriated in the company of people with similar passions, I really needed to get home, dose myself with Nyquil and go to bed.

I noticed a young woman quietly dancing in a doorway. I could see her out of the corner of my eye, but she was hidden from most of the rest of the audience. Suddenly, a tall young black man stepped onto the stage and started to tap dance out his artistic discipline, turning it into worship. We all were electrified. He was beautiful; his movement was exquisite and holy. He had brought his tap shoes in case this opportunity presented itself.

The day ended with a prayer of blessing given by Michael Wilder, the Dean of the Music and Art Conservatory at Wheaton College, and then another prayer by myself.

 Oh Lord,
Help these people to be true;
True to the vision of what You have meant them to be
And are helping them to become;
True to Yourself who is creating in them more than they
Could ever have dreamed or imagined;
True to others, with a kind of integrity that respects
How You have made us all different and unique;
And true to the community of the world into which
You seek to help us pour out our gifts and peculiarities.
Help them to be true.
Help them to be true.
In Christ’s name,
Help them to be true.

This prayer was designed on the spot as I was watching that young man tap-dancing during worship, being true to what it was God intended for him to be.

I went home, took Nyquil, hooked up the electric heating pad and went to sleep, but I was better in my soul because of that day, because of the arts professors and the Inter Varsity staff and the eager students and because of one lovely young man dancing before the Lord.

I spy God!

————————————————————————————–

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.

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