How does one recognize when God shows up? God is always reaching down from heaven to hold us, but sometimes we just can't feel His loving arms around us. Well, I discovered these past four days of training camp just how often God shows up in tangible ways. I just didn't recognize the signs before.
My trip got off to a rocky start when my flight into Atlanta for training camp was delayed about three hours, making me late for the designated arrival time. As I waited in the airport, panic and anxiety set in. To pass the time, I read my Bible and daily devotional journal. The scripture passage for that day was Romans 8:28, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This was God's way of telling me that I will be safe in His arms. That no matter the danger, He will be with me always and protect me.
Once in the air, the sky was beautiful! I've flown plenty of times before, but I have never seen a sky quite as beautiful as this one. As I smiled upon God's wonderful creation, I felt as if this sky was made for me. God was telling me everything was going to work out fine, and I didn't have to worry. This was my special gift from God.
Once in Atlanta, I joined my teammates at Safe House, a homeless shelter downtown. Our assignment for the night was to go out onto the streets in groups and minister to people we come across. My first encounter did not go so well. My teammate Emily C. and I talked to a homeless guy, but he spoke so softly and unclear that we couldn't discern much of what he was saying. We also had a momentary scare when he reached into his inside jacket pocket, after telling us he was convicted of murder, and pulled something out. To our relief it was not a gun or drugs, but a small Bible. He mumbled something about knowing the truth, but we could tell he was not right in the mind, at least not at the moment. We left him feeling both relieved that we didn't get shot or have to report him to the police and also a little defeated.
But God works in wondrous ways. Persevering through disappointment, we talked to a man named Jim. A recovering alcoholic, Jim is a man of great faith who prays to God daily for strength to resist his temptations. However, the past two weeks did not go so well for him. A small group of us prayed over him and encouraged him. That very morning he asked God to send him a sign or message that his prayers had been heard. So when we told Jim that we were only in Atlanta for that night, he immediately knew God sent us to him. The chances of our paths crossing were slim to none also because he broke his daily routine and should have already been home at that time. I knew then what Jim believed was true. God placed Jim in our path in a time when he desperately needed to hear God's voice. And so, God showed up through me and my teammates. I became a messenger of God. And this is only the beginning!
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