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:
 
 
 
“Have you tried out HOBO’s?” The man who asked me this question was actually a salesperson at Home Depot, the home-improvement store close by. The innards of our downstairs guest-room toilet just up and died on Thanksgiving morning, and I had to cry for help to replace it (I’ve hated that yellow porcelain fixture the whole 35 years we’ve lived in the house). Since Mike Teague, a contractor who picks up odd jobs to supplement his income, was coming anyway, we might as well scrape together the money to have him tear apart our master-bedroom bathroom—the cabinet had a bottom in its floor and the toilet was slowly sinking through the sub-flooring.

“’Bout time you did something about that bathroom,” my fix-it friend commented as he was laying tarp on the stairs, folding up the area carpet and moving intruding furniture. “You got everything moved out up there.”

“Yep,” I replied, not really happy about spending the next week without a bathroom (the bathroom in my husband’s study has been completely shut down because water leaks from it into the dining room ceiling). Nor do I enjoy, like other women seem to, the arduous comparison-shopping it takes to price, choose, then gather paint and a new cabinet, a new basin, lights and faucets. Not the way I want to spend my time.

The salesman sensed I wasn’t finding what I wanted, so he explained that HOBO’s was sort of a home-improvement store outlet where the prices were unbeatable. It was in Lombard, several towns east of us. Last Saturday, I picked my husband up from the Amtrak train depot in Chicago, we caught a delightful lunch together at Sweet Sally’s Café on Taylor Street, then stopped past HOBO’s (Home Owners Buyers Outlet) on North Avenue on our way home.

There certainly was plenty to choose from. Mike gave me a Wednesday deadline, and last night, without any other arduous shopping stops, I cleared the hatchback of my compact Mazda Protégé and bought a bathroom cabinet, a matching mirror cabinet with its own lighting system, a porcelain sink set in a counter and some funky-looking faucets.

I wish I had kept a list through all these years of a word fitly spoken. How often the question, “Have you thought about…?” has totally shifted my thinking and set me on a better track. And, I am convinced these little nudges are also divine guidance, ways God uses a human comment, advice, or as the Scripture says, “a word fitly spoken” to direct our paths.

I am grateful for that anonymous salesperson. He directed me just the way I needed to go. It was a small but simple thing and it saved me hours of hunting around.

I spy Your hand! Thank you, 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 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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