A little squirrel reminded me that God intervenes in our lives constantly in ways we can’t see.
As I was traveling down the road yesterday to meet a friend, a squirrel ran out into the road directly in my path. Now squirrels are famous for being indecisive. Instead of running across the road, they will run back and forth and end up flattened. This particular one froze and if he stayed put, I would pass safely over him.
They never stay put.
I held my breath for a second, feeling sure I was going to crush him, but I didn’t. I caught him making it to the grass in my rear view mirror. It was a tiny miracle of sorts. Sure, it was just a squirrel, but it was one that got to keep on living due to perfect split second timing.
I thought of that experience for the remainder of the day. I thought about how often God intervenes for us and we don’t even know it.
I had just read that morning, the story in Exodus where Moses tells his father-in-law about the troubles they had faced since leaving Egypt and how the Lord had saved them.
God confused the Egyptians, parted the Red Sea, turned undrinkable, bitter water into drinkable water, sent manna and quail for food and then made water appear from a rock and all those gifts were for complaining, ungrateful people. Yet, when Moses told the story, he was quick to point out that even though there were hardships along the way, the Lord had saved them. Exodus 18:8
Those were hardships that they could see. God intervened in those big ways to show His power and love for His people and to build their faith. Who knows in what other ways He intervened?
How many people stayed healthy on that journey? How many babies were born? How many elderly people successfully made the trip?
It’s sometimes difficult to feel like God is with us when times are tough and circumstances seem impossible, but the Bible assures us over and over that He is and as we grow in faith, like Moses, we can learn to recognize His presence.
But, my squirrel encounter also reminded me that He is with us throughout all of our days and years in ways that we may never know. When you forgot something at home and had to turn around and go get it, perhaps you avoided a fatal accident. When you didn’t get that job you so desperately wanted, perhaps He was saving a better one for you. When the answer to an ongoing prayer was no, is it possible that what you thought you wanted wasn’t what you needed?
Looking back on my own life, I have found that to be true.
While we make an effort to be thankful for all of the blessings that we can see, maybe we should also say a prayer of thanks for all of the blessings that we can’t see. Just because we can’t see them, doesn’t mean that God hasn’t rained them down on us.
Being able to be thankful for that which we don’t see is just another step in growing our faith and trust in the One who created us and loves us unconditionally.
A little squirrel reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂