God Moments

God Moments. Whether we take time to recognize them or not, we all have them.

Can you remember when your last God Moment happened?

If you are not sure what I’m writing about, it’s those precious times when God just shows.

As you know, I love movies. Especially the old ones. One of my many favorites is Forrest Gump. In that movie, Forrest and Lieutenant Dan have bene out fishing all night and did not catch any shrimp. They were doing all the right things, but they were not having any success.  After yet another unsuccessful troll and emptying their nets, Forrest says, “No shrimp” and Lieutenant Dan asks Forrest, “Where’s this God of yours?” Suddenly a wind began to blow and as Forrest describes it, “It’s funny Lieutenant Dan said that ‘cause right then, God showed up.” That’s a God moment.

Doesn’t that sound very similar to an account that the disciples had with Jesus? Jesus had told the disciples to wait, and Peter got tired of waiting on God and decided to return to his old way of life and go fishing. I don’t think this was a ‘well, while we are waiting on God to show up, let’s get out and have a fishing fellowship.’ I believe it was an, ‘I’m tired of waiting on God and I’m going back to what I used to do.’ What’s really sad is that when Peter said he was going fishing, 6 other disciples followed him. You already know the story as it is recorded in John 21, they fished all night, they were doing everything right, but they didn’t catch anything. Then — just right then and there — God showed up, and they miraculously reap a bountiful harvest. That’s a God moment.

I wonder how many times God shows up in our lives and we don’t take time to recognize it that we just had a God moment? We play it off as something like luck, good karma or good fortune. Nope it was a God moment – and it always is. But God moments aren’t always something spectacular that provides a huge catch of fish. Sometimes God moments are like Elijah standing at the opening of the cave and — just right then and there — God showed up. Another God moment.

Just like these and countless other events in the Bible I am convinced that we encounter God moments in our lives every day. Sometimes God shows up and shows off as in a huge load of fish or an unexpected blessing, and sometimes there are those silent times when God shows up with a still, small voice. — Just right then and there –, it’s another God moment.

This week, I’ve seen some awesome God moments where God just shows up and shows off. God showed up and our food pantry is continually being blessed with an abundance of canned food. But another exciting thing happened, and God showed up and provided a channel so that we will also have fresh fruits and vegetables to pass out! Then — just right then and there –, God showed up when one of our wireless microphones quit working and we were shipped a replacement $389 microphone for free!

But these God moments are not just this week — they happen to us and through us each and every day. God moments happen when new people start visiting our church. God moments happen when we all work together on various projects, our revival, and other ministries and — just right then and there –, God shows up and we are abundantly blessed beyond measure.

But there is one other type of God moment I that I challenge you to think about. Perhaps some of our greatest God moments are not when God shows up for us, but when God uses us to be a God moment for someone else — just right then and there — in their time of need. It may be when you call someone on the phone to check up on them, or send them a card. Maybe it’s just a smile or an encouraging word to a family member, friend or coworker. It may be when God uses you to help out someone else – maybe a complete stranger — when you purchase the dinner of the car behind you in the drive-thru or buy a stranded stranger a tank of gas so they can get home. And yes, when you donate to our food pantry, or help support Rosedale’s missions.

I know I have told you this story before in my messages, but it’s worth repeating:

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six pack of root beer and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie.

 She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!  They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

 As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

 When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face, and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” However, before her son responded, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

May we all look for God moments in our lives each and every day and realize that sometimes when God shows up, He’s actually doing it through us to provide someone else with a miraculous God moment.