Noticing God's Presence in Everyday Life?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Melodeonist
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Melodeonist

Guest
In the RCIA, we have a thing called Awareness Moments, where you write down where you noticed God’s presence in your everyday life. I have been having some trouble doing this, as I can’t seem to find God’s presence anywhere. 😦

What are some tips on finding God’s presence more? I was getting more awareness moments a few months ago, but now I seem to have trouble getting them.
 
You don’t ever experience joy?
I thought you always say you love playing music for the glory of God. That would be one instance.
Do you ever offer a helping hand and someone remarks that you were there “just in time?” That’s another thing you could note.
Do you ever marvel at a sunset?
Do you ever feel peace when you pray?
Do you ever have a sense that God has you exactly where He would like you to be?

That’s what they are talking about.
 
Three of the places I notice God are in nature, in beauty, and in love.

The grandeur of a mountain, the intricacy of a spider web, the warmth of the sun all remind me of God.

A rose, a painting, an aria, and other forms of beauty remind me of God.

A mother smiling at her baby, someone offering a sandwich to a homeless person, even something as small as holding a door open for someone looking a bit harried, are all forms of love that remind me of God.

And at this time of year, seeing Christmas lights, hearing bell ringers at the mall, and people celebrating the season of Jesus’ birth all remind m of God as well.
 
Well, obviously this response is totally just my opinion, based on my own experience. For me, I don’t usually go around all day at specific times/events and think, “Oh, that’s God’s presence in my life!” That can happen to me sometimes, but it’s probably not very often. More often than not, it is more when I look back on my life, whether it’s just the past day I’m looking back on, or whether it’s 5 years ago. It’s when I look back that I can know with certainty that either A) God was at work at that time in my life or whatever event it might have been, or B) God was present.

Technically, and I am sure you know this, God is always present in our everyday lives, and I’m sure that’s why you have this “assignment” in RCIA, to practice noticing this fact. I guess I am not really saying anything helpful…lol…but just one thought, I suppose: since God is Love and, well, God is everything good, technically when one experiences anything good - i.e., peace, love, comfort - that is a chance to recognize God’s presence in your life. So I think moments like that are some of the easiest moments to recognize His presence.

Alternatively - and this can certainly be harder - you could also try to recognize God’s presence in the opposite moments - i.e., in suffering, sadness, etc. - and try to remember that God loves you, knows what you’re going through, and allows such moments for your greater good. In my experience, this can either A) give me the opportunity to recognize God’s presence in the midst of tough times, and to accept His graces which he is always giving to us, or B) it might directly comfort me and give me a sense of peace which then I know is from God and I can then recognize God’s presence.

I hope I made at least a little sense there 🙂
 
James 4:8 New King James Version (NKJV). 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

I would say maybe the lack of feeling connected can also be a sign. The enemy can use discouragement in little things to get in between us and God. As well, in a journey of faith there are times of strong connectedness and times of feeling less connected. I encourage you to just keep plugging away in assurance the God has you in His hands.

PAX
 
Thanks for the replies! 🙂

I think I may be looking to deeply, and by doing so, I am missing God. :o
 
Melodeonist said:
Thanks for the replies! 🙂

I think I may be looking to deeply, and by doing so, I am missing God. :o
Click to expand...
👍

When I was suffering a long stretch of depression, a friend challenged me to find “little blessings” each day and to share them later when we talked. And they were small blessings - a pretty sunrise, the sound of a child laughing at the store, someone letting me pull my car out into traffic, etc.

That small exercise has grown within me so that now I see those blessings all the time and it has cultivated a sense of gratitude in my life to God for helping me to see some of the many ways He is constantly blessings us, but that we often miss!

Keep trying, and I know you are going to be SO very blessed!
 
Try reading the spiritual classic “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. Highly recommended.
 
“Everything is grace.” - St. Therese

Everything good comes from God. He is the Mirror without spot; everything that captivates our hearts on earth can be found in His Heart. He holds everything in existence. The universe is a bit like a fish swimming in the infinite ocean of God’s mercy.
 
After converting and completing RCIA; I noticed several areas of my life improving. I seemed to sleep more peacefully. Maybe because my prayer routine is at night. I felt happier, in general. And my husband noticed that things did not upset me as quickly as they used to. Perhaps because I just knew God was with me, always. It was Faith, I think, that then led me to discover God’s presence.
I began to notice the blue in our sky, and the peace of a mountain stream; where so many years these things had gone unnoticed. I will tell you that this awakening was gradual, at first, but when I started to realize , “Oh,That’s God” it seemed easier to pick out things that were so evident of God’s presence in my every day life.

This was just my experience; and I’m sure we all are different; but I do believe it all started with having the true Faith that God is with me. Hope this helps. God Bless You!
 
I think one problem I have is that I feel like I should always give a very large awareness moment, rather than a humble, small one. It seems most are small ones, but there are many of them. 🙂
 
+JMJ+

I see the Lord’s presence often. Too often even! I see Him most especially when I suffer or feel pain.

You see, everytime I suffer, there is a reason. That is, all suffering brings with it some truth. And everytime there is truth, there is Jesus Christ, who said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). So I greet Him always when I suffer: “Oh hello, my Lord!”

But since Jesus is not just Truth, but Way and Life, everytime I see Him I know He always has a reason for me to see Him: the Truth always has a choice of action, a Way, that leads to Life, and that Life is chosen when I do the action that respects the Truth instead of hiding from it.

For example, if I have a headache, I do not ignore it, I try to see what is the reason and deal with it. If it is stress I back off from what is giving me stress. If it is from caffeine withdrawal (and unfortunately I know this too much!) I back away from my cups of joe for the next days. If the headache is too much or too often and I do not know where it is coming from I go to the doctor. In the meantime I can take a couple of pills and maybe some rest just to deal with the headache, but I try not to be impatient with it and instead offer the pain up, as I am in the presence of my Lord and I try not to behave in a way that is unbecoming to Him.

But I see the Lord not just in pain but in everything now, because as long as there is truth in something, He is there, and if the Truth is there, there is always a choice of doing the Way of Life or walking the way of death.

Temptation? “Oh hello Lord!” God never tempts us to sin (James 1:13) but He can allow us to be tempted.

Happy? “Oh hi my Lord!”

Triumphant? “Oh hello my Lord!”

Late for something? “Oh hey my Lord!”

Everything shows me the Lord’s presence.
 
Every breath we take is only taken by the Will of God. We only continue to exist because God wills us to be. Scripture tells us that He takes care of the sparrow and even clothes the lily with its splendor. Look to the little, insignificant things around you as signs of the Presence of God.

Remember Eljah, who sought God in the wind, in the flame, in the earthquake and did not find him there. It was only in the still small breeze (or, as some translators tell it, the sound of sheer silence) where Elijah finally heard the voice of God.

Be at peace.
 
Noticing God’s presence can be an act of the will. It need not be emotional. It need not be a feeling. Simply bringing to mind that God knows your thoughts and your heart, and that He is sustaining you in existence, and that He has created you with a dignity and that He loves you … these things are all something we call to mind simply by desiring to do so. In fact, they are all a form of prayer, since they raise our thoughts to God, and therefore have Him as a final end.

On the other hand, if by having “awareness moments,” one means experiencing spiritual consolations, well, THAT isn’t something we can will in the slightest. Moreover, desiring spiritual consolations have US and OUR FEELINGS as a final end, and not God. Therefore, they should be avoided.
 
Would this be an awareness moment you think?

I was rummaging through the Thrift Store’s records, hoping to find a Polka record, and I just randomly found a Polka 78 single. I have thanked God afterwards.
 
maybe if you stop focusing on finding them so much youll actually find them! just let be, the holy spirit works with you always, be wowed when its time to, we are creatio
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top