Before I begin I just ask a special prayer for a young man named Dillan that I met while away. I was there for work, but God sent me to Denver to meet him. Thus the title of today’s podcast.
Several years ago, many, before graduating high school, the family went to a brand-new shopping mall (Glendale Galleria), if you could not find it there it wasn’t to be found. My mom and her sisters, my cousins, and of course, lest I forget, my grandmother, whom we commonly referred to as little gramps, because she was less than five feet tall. For context, a little shorter than a clothing rack. There was a long-awaited wedding later that afternoon, so the goal was to arrive early, and leave in enough time to get home, dressed, and attend the long-anticipated event. Everyone was in a rush, and somehow amongst the bustle of people, we lost my grandmother, we searched for hours, store by store, aisle upon aisle. Our shopping was no longer a priority as our attention straightway changed to the mass search, for someone we could hardly see. Minutes, turned to hours and nothing. We were pressed for time but could not find our way out of the present situation, we talked with security, and it was too soon the file a missing person report (yes like television), it had not been, yet seemingly, twenty-four (24) hours. We asked security if they could be on the lookout. While the middle of the story remains uncertain even today, unbeknown to us she found a bus stop, paid the fare, and rode the city bus home. While everyone was assuming the worst she got dressed, and went to the wedding without us, she bragged about how great a time she had, oblivious to the family’s seething anger, we were, for lack of a better term, undone, as her response was in complete contradiction to the deep seeded anguish it caused. I am sure the wedding was fantastic, and the receptions was beyond fabulous, but we will never as our search for my pint-sized grandmother ended in vain.
There's a game many of us are familiar with called, Where's Waldo, the objective is to look at a picture bustling full of people and objects, and find an individual named Waldo dressed in a red and white horizontal stripped shirt and beanie. Sometimes we jokingly use the term to describe a co-worker, friend or associate that always seems to be missing. However, where does our search for God lead us, as we look at the things that occupy our lives and make them so busy, we like the picture often miss the obvious right in front of us. Our hearts are what lead us, but scripture serves as the roadmap, it tells us how we can, and where to find him. Like Waldo, in the red and white horizontal shirt, he should not be difficult to find, as we clumsily look, up and down, right, and left, but he is not there, God is always the centerpiece.
Today’s podcast is titled
Struggle Finding God
Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
What does our heartfelt search and yearning for God say about us. The invitation is given for us to come, and the decree has gone forth. We shall find him, as written throughout scripture, and demonstrated over and again, by his people, awaiting our earnest plea for help. Scripture specifically tells us, in
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
