Gifts From An Ordinary God

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Reflections | Poetry

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Posted On May 16, 2021

My morning quiet time has not been fruitful these past few days. I show up, sit in the silence, and listen. I wait. But all I hear is a whiz-bang of thoughts whirling in my mind.

I do what the teachers have taught me. I focus on my breath. Try to find the still-point between each wisp of air flowing through my lungs. It works for a while, but soon whiz and bang are back again playing bumper cars in my head.

“Where are you God? I miss you.” Those words spill from my heart into an absent void.

But then my dog Bailey, tickles my hand with her wet warm tongue. A robin fills the morning air with her song of joy outside my open window. The coffee I savor warms my throat, soothes my anxious soul. And I am invited to see more deeply with the eyes of my heart.

In those moments, God breaks through the din of my thoughts. I hear the Creator whisper. “I am right here. I am the God of the Ordinary. I have gifted you with a loyal dog. Can you feel my love through her caressing tongue? I have sprinkled the world with a chorus of birds who greet the morning with songs of gladness. Can you hear me sing, ‘I love you,’ through their glorious strains? I pour abundance upon the earth with grains, fruits, and nuts so you can taste and see my goodness.”

“Let those who have eyes to see be graced with inner vision to receive the God of the Ordinary,” I hear the silence speak.

I’ve been looking for God in all the wrong places.

I expect red seas to part, angels to descend from the heavens, burning bushes to be engulfed with flames.

But when I like Moses, take off my shoes and ask for the grace to find God in the ordinary, the Ordinary God shows up and surprises me in simple and miraculous ways.

—brian j plachta

Written by Brian J. Plachta

Following the Breadcrumbs God Leaves Along Our Path

What if God is speaking through ordinary moments more often than we realize?

A conversation that stays with us. A door that closes. A quiet nudge we can’t quite explain. An unexpected invitation that seems to come at just the right time.

The challenge is learning to notice these moments before we have any idea where they’re leading, and trusting the next step.

Over time, we may begin to see that God’s guidance doesn’t always come as an answer. Sometimes, it comes as a trail.

What to Do When God Seems Silent

Has silence ever made you feel like God is far away? When we feel this way, it’s easy to start looking for answers or waiting for a clear sign. But prayer can also be as simple as slowing down and noticing what’s already here. The breeze. The waves. Your breath. The quiet. God’s presence doesn’t always come through words. Sometimes we just need to be still enough to notice.

Let God Alone Define You

Ever have someone’s words get stuck in your head?
Maybe they criticized you, misunderstood you, or told a story about you that doesn’t feel true. And before long, you’re holding a courtroom in your mind—defending yourself, replaying the conversation, wondering if maybe they’re right.

There’s another way.

Bring it into the quiet with God.

Ask: Is there something here I need to learn? Is there something I need to own? And what was never mine to carry in the first place?

We can stay humble enough to receive the truth without letting someone else’s opinion become our identity.

Because in the end, God alone defines you.

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