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:
Because one of the workers at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Food Pantry lives on the same block as my son and daughter-in-law, we are often the recipients of free food. New provisions are being delivered and the shelves have to be cleared of fresh produce before it goes bad and in order to make room for the new.
“We have a box of frozen food for you,” Angela reported last week. The freezers at St. Mary’s had to be cleared due to year-end cleanout requirements and also due to another imminent delivery.
So I gladly took the food, thawed the green beans and mashed potatoes, and David and I enjoyed a good sliced-ham dinner, compliments of the free-food pantry. Several packages of meat, some penne pasta dishes, additional vegetables and a few unmarked plastic bags are now safely parked in the freezer in our garage.
I am grateful for this rather amusing and unusual provision of provender. We are glad to make sure this food doesn’t go to waste. We honked at the truck that was going up and down our son’s street, Clairmont Avenue, distributing other boxes to grateful neighbors, all with large families.
However, this gift of food makes me think of those who regularly receive supplies that supplement their meager incomes. I think of the generosity of donors and of the graciousness of volunteers. I remember those in countries I have visited who literally have nothing to eat. I see visions of starving children in refugee camps and of the lines I have seen forming for milk distribution and tin cans of grain.
I remember that food prices are going up all over the world, causing agony for the poor who suffer so much already. I ask God to forgive us our waste—Americans throw away as much as 40% of all they purchase—and to make me a more thrifty housewife.
And I pray for those who are hungry this day, for those who are watching infants waste away. “Oh, God. Bring provender to all living things on this earth. Help me not to forget those who have nothing to eat while I throw away what has spoiled or what is distasteful to our palate. Help me to honor the gift of this box of frozen food in a way that is a reminder of your intentions for all humans—health and happiness and harmony—and enough to eat.”
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.
