Right Here

File photos from children's time at church.

 

 "Where is God?" Pastor Ben asked during children's time last Sunday.

"He's in heaven," said one of the children gathered at Pastor Ben's feet.

"Yes, that's right," Ben affirmed. "Where else is He?"

And one little girl took her pointer finger, gestured to her side, and said, "He's right here."

I was sitting in the choir loft. And shivers went down my spine as I watched her finger point to her side, just as if God were sitting there, cross-legged beside her, on the green carpet in the front of a church in Stafford, America.

I've remembered it every day since." (See why I'm a fan of children's time? I love Pastor Ben's messages, but he got a little help last Sunday from an 8-year-old, brown-eyed beauty.)

I thought about it again yesterday morning, as I read more of the book, "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?" by Philip Yancy:

"Let the imagination roam, placing yourself in the presence of God, affirming that since God is everywhere, He is here now. Think of Christ as standing at your side, sharing your experience."

That little girl didn't need a book to tell her a truth she's already discovering in her life: God is right here ... right by my side.

Our lives may be broken. But, God is like a farmer who takes the broken pieces of a barbed wire fence and splices them together again so we can hold firm.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22

Sometimes, that's the sermon you need to remember all week long. (And, to be fair, I'm still thinking about Pastor Ben's message about the 10 lepers, too. It was a pretty great Sunday morning.)