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:
Caitlyn, our eldest grandchild, is 18 and starts college at Indiana Wesleyan University. She’s received a soccer and an academic scholarship. And, because she’s so far from home, Phoenix, I have been hoping we would be able to get down from Chicago to see her frequently enough to be a support in that tenuous freshman year of adjustment.
When the daughter of a high-school friend (whom I haven’t seen in ages) called to ask me to speak for a women’s event in her church in Lafayette, Indiana, I was immediately concerned to see whether I could fit this date onto my August calendar.
“Will you drive down or fly?” I was asked. Oh, drive—by the time you get yourself to the airport for these short trips, wait at the gate, fly out, pick up baggage, and drive to your destination, you might as well have taken your own car. The travel time is generally about even, if not shorter.
It was only when I e-mailed my contact that I could accept this invitation, and Map Quested the miles and directions, that I thought, Oh, Caitlyn! Maybe I can pop on to Indianapolis and catch her somewhere in a gap between her soccer practices.
I quickly cell-phone-caught Kit (as her brothers and friends now call her—it used to be Kay-Kay). “When are you arriving at school?” Next week. “Tell me about your roommate (a sister soccer-team member). How are you set for clothes?”
I suddenly realized that Kit (let’s face it: I will probably always call her Katy) would be on campus a full three weeks before classes. With this speaking invitation to Lafayette, about 45 minutes from IWU (learning the lingo here), my expenses would be covered. So, I could visit with my granddaughter (and said roommate). What an unexpected gift! Not only that, but I might even have some money to blow from book sales and a small honorarium for a warm winter wardrobe to help Caitlyn endure our Midwestern winters.
One of the categories we teach people to examine in order to find God is what we call “unusual linkage or timing”—those events in life when we are prone to exclaim, “What an amazing circumstance!” But, there are no such things as “circumstances” when we live within the embrace of a loving God who oversees and participates in the everyday progression of our lives.
I get to see Caitlyn in a couple of weeks because someone in Lafayette, Indiana, thought I would be good to invite to speak to their women’s event.
Yeah 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.
