For many years, I commuted along the same highway to my office every day. It became such habit that sometimes it seemed like the car drove itself. Pulling into my driveway at the end of the day, I’d wonder how I got there so fast.
Life eventually took me elsewhere, but I recently visited my old stomping grounds. A friend drove me along the very same highway. I expressed some surprise about the new golf course and a residential area. There was also a steeple sticking out of trees I’d never seen before.
My friend looked at me and wondered aloud if I was okay. Those things were there years before I finished my life of commuting. I guess I was too focused on the driving task to pay attention.
Finding God in everyday life is like driving down the highway. We drive too fast or focus too much on vehicles ahead to notice everything we pass. If I drove every road in my town every day, I will quickly know my way around the streets. But if I do not know which street the ice cream parlor is on or where the supermarket is, knowing the roads is not much use.
God is in those ice cream parlors and stores. He is in those residential developments and golf courses and that steeple poking out of the trees. If we are serious about finding God in everyday life, we need to slow down and stop once in a while.
When I started doing medical mission work, I mistakenly believed that seeing more patients meant we had a better clinic. Nowadays, I limit myself to small settings and villages where I can talk to people longer and learn about their lives. If I do not find enough time to wander the mission location and connect with the people, I do not feel fulfilled. I did not get to see God in their everyday lives.
Finding God in everyday life should be easy. We learn early in our faith journey that God is everywhere. His omnipresence is a fact. It is also a fact that He is constantly reaching out to us, trying to help us see Him, understand his Word, and grow in our love for Him. But if we pass by brusquely, barely budging shoulders on our way to the next thing, then it is all for naught.
My bucket list includes driving down the Pacific Coast Highway someday. Once, I thought about extending a Northern California business trip through the weekend to rent a car and drive to San Diego. I’m glad I decided against that. I would have been too rushed to really savor the experience. Someday I will take enough time to explore the whole experience.
Do the same thing with God. Slow down. Look around. Take time to see and notice things. Listen to people. Listen to the bustle of life. Listen to nature. Smell the air. Feel sensations. Make that a habit and you will never have to worry about finding God in everyday life again.
