Psalm 139 from The Message starts like this:

“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.  I’m an open book to You; even from a distance You know what I’m thinking.”

As I’m reading this I am looking out of a plane window at the houses below. The houses are but dots below and the waters are small. Other planes we pass in the sky are tiny. How can a God, even from a distance, see me? I imagine a telescope and He zooms into my house, dials it up to clarify the picture, and there I am with my family. I see me running around the house doing laundry, picking up and thinking about going through the mail. The kids are playing outside and my husband is grilling some steaks. It’s a lovely day, all things considered, but my time is taken and I have a quick errand to run.

The Bible also says, “You know when I leave and when I get back. I’m never out of Your sight”. Oops, there God goes. He’s moving that telescope following me on my errand. I get back home and the kids are back in the house. It’s louder than before I left. “You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and You’re there, then up ahead and You’re there, too. Your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful — I can’t take it all in!” Everything I’m going to say? He truly knows? Now, that is humbling.

I find it hard to believe that a God so great, mighty and powerful can love me, tiny ‘ol me, compared to His greatness when He knows what’s getting ready to come out of my mouth. This is not what’s coming out of my mouth when I’m at church or in a good mood. No, He loves me when I’m tired, grouchy, short with my husband and children and when my impatience with the store clerk tells me not to smile and greet her like I should!

“I look behind me and You’re there, then up ahead and You’re there, too”.

Yep, He’s the person slowly getting out his change taking so long in line. He’s the mom behind me with the screaming children as I wonder if my kids were ever that loud! He’s the couple fighting over something I dare not listen to for fear of taking sides. He’s all around! “Your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful — I can’t take it all in!” Now, I could take this time to focus on the negative of how guilty we should all be for how we feel, think and act at times, but I’m not. I’m in a half-full mood today, so I’m going positive on you.

You know how kids are always drilled by their parents that their friends can make them or break them? I’m not sure how we as adults tend to forget that but it’s just as true for us, only it tends to be a slower slide one way or another. I don’t really think we realize how much we’ve been affected until some “ah-ha” moment happens. So, you might ask how this is positive, right? Well, we can go nowhere to flee God’s presence. He is always with us. We simply have to acknowledge Him in our lives and He’s the best friend hanging out with you at the store whispering to you, “I wonder if that old man can’t see well enough to give the correct change to the clerk”.  Suddenly, you don’t really mind waiting on the guy. He then quietly comments He overheard the mom tell the son his sister’s ears still hurt from her ear infection and that’s why she’s crying. Suddenly, you offer grace and help distract the kids for the mom. It’s your turn in line. After having a fun conversation in line with your best friend (a.k.a. God), you look the clerk in the eye and offer her a smile and ask, “How are you doing today?”

When we interact with God and acknowledge His presence we extend His very presence to those around us, as they hopefully are doing, as well. And, as for those who do not, I choose to act like my best friend in line and think of my glass as half-full.

© 2012 Susan M. Sims

Image courtesy of suphakit73 at freedigitalphotos.net

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