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:
 
 
 
I’m a little overwhelmed these days with office work, garden projects I want to finish (and that I’ve been planning for years), a small group that meets at our home many weeks, work for an international board that I feel privileged to serve on, and an incredibly active and creative mind that keeps thinking up things I would still love to do.

So when the small group came to our home this Wednesday night for our dinner-together evening, I kept saying to myself, Keep it simple, keep it simple. Everyone was bringing salad or sauces, since we were trying out the resale pasta machine I bought for $5 at our nearby Goodwill store.

However, when I learned that we could have as many as 15 people at a sit-down dinner, I decided to move the dining locale to our backyard, which is in the glorious height of its spring bloom—a miracle in itself!

This meant hauling and borrowing tables, setting up chairs, filling canning jars with random cuttings from the yard for centerpieces, figuring out that “umbrella assemblage” I wanted to create for alfresco dining, and climbing up to the attic, then down again, with the basket of summer tablecloths, napkins, rattan paper-plate holders, etc. It meant running to World Market and seeing if there were any mosquito repellants made of lemongrass or citronella (one of our members has had mercury poisoning, and many of the chemical repellants are made with mercury as an ingredient). It meant finding a set of beach chairs—bright red with matching umbrellas—and buying them for summer backyard activities. It meant setting up a serving table with crocks for drinks and a large bouquet. It meant finding a way to run electric cords so we could put crock-pots with pasta sauces outside.

By the time our group began to arrive, I had been on my feet going since 4:30 and the Morton’s neuroma (a condition where the nerve endings become inflamed and the sufferer walks as though there are marbles beneath the skin of the third and fourth toe!) had activated, threatening to cripple me.

However, one of our small-group members has just graduated from college and needed a place to stay while she works to gather some funds and finds a place to intern, using her degree in anthropology, somewhere in the far distant world. Amy found a place with us.

She pitched in upon returning home from work, wrestled with the pasta machine, helped to carry serving dishes out in the yard, carried the dishes back in (as did everyone) after dinner, and stayed up to clean up all the serving dishes and the pots and pans while I went to bed with waves of muscle spasms attacking my legs. Usually, I can stamp away charley horses, but not tonight.

I woke up the next morning, fairly well-rested and without muscle spasms, and headed down to what I discovered was a really, really cleaned-up kitchen!

One of the categories where we tell people to search for God’s intervention is this one: Help to do God’s work in the world. Amy was my answer to that prayer—just when I had about reached my limit in extending hospitality to our friends, just when I had pressed myself too far in gathering everything I would need for this first of what I hope will become many garden breakfasts or lunches or dinners, a helping hand with a strong back and a willing spirit came home from work. Perfect timing. Great gal.

An older friend once taught me that helping hands are all around. The helping hands on this night are certain evidence to me that God is in communities of friends who not only care for one another but who pitch when we get ourselves into pickles, when we try to do too much, or when we forget our limitations.

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. This microfinance 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. The 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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