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 everyday occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:
“Mainstay Ministries—Karen Mains,” I answered the phone at the office. With a part-time staff, we all share receptionist responsibilities.
“Hello,” said the little voice on the other end. “This is Daisy. Does Cirilo Leon live with you?”
I replied that Cirilo Leon did indeed live with us, migrating each year from Oaxaca, Mexico to work as a gardener at some of the acreages down the road. Then I found out that Daisy was his daughter. She went on to explain, “I was a rebellious 16-year-old, and I haven’t had contact with my family. But I’m married now with two little girls and I am pregnant again. Life is too short. So I’m hoping to find my father and see him again. I want my children to grow up knowing him.”
This phone call came early in March and Cirilo hadn’t as yet arrived for his season migration, but I took Daisy’s contact information and promised to thumbtack the message to his door so it would be the first thing he saw when he settled into his room in the basement. When Cirilo arrived, I made a point of making sure he noticed the note, and from time to time (when I saw him, we traveled overseas this spring and when we were home, he left early in the morning and retired early at night).
“Have you been in contact with Daisy?” I would inquire when our paths did cross. “Yes. Yes,” he explained. “Three or four times. Maybe we have molé some evening.” Molé is the classic regional dish of Oaxaca, a recipe that takes days to prepare and usually requires the efforts of a community of women. Cirilo always brings some with him and he cooks a Mexican meal for us to invite our friends.
Last Sunday, Father’s Day, we came home from church to find Cirilo cleaned and dressed and waiting in the driveway. “Where are you going, Cirilo?” I asked. He usually works on Sundays to the early afternoon.
“Oh, my daughter Daisy and I go for Father’s Day.”
Well, I made a point of meeting Daisy, a tiny little thing with a Thai husband, two beautiful daughters (this ethnic genetic mix really works) and looking very pregnant. She is due to deliver in September. How wonderful, I thought.Daisy is taking her father out for Father’s Day.
How did Daisy know that her father was living with us? Well, in that first phone call I asked her, “Why are you calling me?”
The little voice said, “Oh, I was searching for my father on the Internet and an article you wrote came up with the phone number of the office.” What an amazing thing: I had written an e-newsletter (Soulish Food) about Cirilo (“The Mexican Who Lives in Our Basement”). The first summer he lived with us he worked for an hour a week in my gardens; that was a huge help to me. Heavy rains had flooded the basement and he pitched in to move furniture and wet-vacuum the standing water on the carpets—how would we have made it through that summer without his help?
What an amazing search for a father! I had paused for a moment when using Cirilo’s real name in my writing, but I was attempting to portray a positive picture of the immigrant realities that I know. The name, Cirilo Leon, sounded Mexican, so I used it, thinking that Cirilo would never know that I had written about him—hah!
We are living in the middle of one of those “once I was lost, but now am found” stories—the very illustration of the redemption principle in the Scriptures. We seek and we are found. Daisy looked for her father, but she has also found an extended family, restoring to herself and her husband and girls something that was incomplete in their live. Her beautiful girls (she is expecting a third daughter) will grow up knowing their grandfather; at least during those springs and summers and falls when he comes to the States and lives in our house.
God must delight in bringing His children together—He does it so many times. Daisy has found her father. Give praise.
“I will give thanks to thee, Lord, with my whole heart.
I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.”
—Psalm 9:1-2
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.