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 will be in Africa this October. One of the ways we cut costs on the Africa bags made by the bag-makers who belong to the Global Bag Project, is we “mule” the bags back.

We are a charitable organization. The sales are donations; we give a receipt for funds above the raw costs. Our travel is for humanitarian purposes, so we can take advantage of certain airlines’ generosity and bring back more than the allotted suitcases without extra fees. (Do you have a trip planned to Kenya? Can you bring back an extra duffel with kanga-cloth reusable shopping bags?)

In contrast to our “muling,” one box with 50 bags can cost us over $300 to ship!

Because of all this, I was eager for bags to be ready so I could carry them home for the parties we mount for pre-Christmas sales. However, due to the work our volunteer staff has been doing on the Internet optimization plan, (and our ineffective “National Watermelon Day”), we have not had much time to launch parties. Nor did we have the requisite funds to order new bags (which also means that our seamstresses did not have work). We need $500 to order 50 bags. This is just to buy fabric.

I prayed, Lord, do you think you could provide $1,000 so we could wire money to Kenya and begin to start the bag-making process up again? Carla Boelkens, our Stateside Director had not been paid. Mary Ogalo, our GBP Kenya Project Coordinator, had not been paid, and I had haunting visions of sewing machines standing idle with families going hungry.

“Do you know what,” said Carla. “We have an account for designated gifts that we don’t need right now. It has about $1,400 in it. Can we write a check from that fund and pay it back?”

We decided to borrow $1,000 from that fund (to be paid back by the end of the fiscal year) and begin the process so I could mule kanga-cloth bags back from Africa when I return in mid-October.

Then we sold an unexpected $300 of bags at the backyard party and an unexpected $500 of bags in West Lafayette, IN (and, oh, I forgot—we sold some $500 worth of bags at our 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration). It was as though God was saying to me, It’s all right. You are not slipping into the “rob Peter to pay Paul” mode. You’re just a little cash poor. Trust me. I will provide all your needs.

One of the ways we teach people to spy God intervening in their every day is in the category: “Help to do God’s work in the world.”

As long as I am faithful in my prayers (and sometimes when I am not), God is ready to help me do His work. A small kindness, an simple conversation, an empty room readied for a houseguest. These all often work more goodness than any of us suspect or know. Money sitting idle.

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 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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