Though I don’t always recognize or acknowledge God’s presence in my life, if I would try to be more aware and tuned in, I might see God. God might just give me a glimpse of himself,  and I will look and see him. It may sound crazy to say that I see God, or have seen God, but all of us have. We have the potential to see him at his pleasure and initiative, not of our own efforts or by our will. We need him to reveal himself and we need to be there to see. Scripture says that “no one has ever seen God”, so how is it that I or you can say that we have?

       We can say that we have seen him because God has reached out to us and made himself known. We see God revealed in nature and many of us connect with him or see him in the ocean, the trees, a sunset or in the face of a child. These are but just a few ways that we notice our creator God. Places or faces that somehow resonate within us and show us God and let us see him and learn something about him and ourselves in relationship to him. We see him in his Word and there too, we learn something of him and of ourselves. We see a very personal God. We learn how important it is that we are to him and from the very beginning how he showed himself to us. We get more than a burning bush, we get to see the invisible God in the person of Jesus. God in flesh, who physically lived, laughed, and cried with us. Sharing in our humanity and ultimately dying for us.

        God has, and is continually showing himself  to us but we don’t always see. Sometimes it is in such overwhelming ways that we can’t believe what we are seeing. Many times we are too busy to notice. Preoccupied with ourselves and the cares of the world, we have no time to be there to see him.  Sometimes when we do catch sight of him at a particular place or in a particular way, we seem only to look for him there. Often times missing those other glimpses given to us because we don’t expect him to show up there. Perhaps, we just need to intentionally pray that God would show up for us in and when he desires. And that when that occurs in our everyday lives, as it does, we would be able to say, I see you God.

        All of us see God in many diverse ways. How is it that you are able to say, I see you God?

     When I consider the specific responses to nature that I and many who have shared with  me what they have experienced, I can see that they all indeed have led to richer experiences in and of the Creator.  I can see also that these times of awareness of God through and with nature is something that I need to chew on and savor more.  As all of us experience similar times, I am sure that this awareness will grow and deepen.  I believe that what needs to happen on our part is to continually see how we are both actors and participants in the audience of this magnificent play that God the creator has given us to enjoy, to be radically amazed by and to reveal Himself in.

Quote: Robert Russell, J., “Contemplation: a Scientific Context”, Continuim, 2:2&3, pg. 136