God moments

A friend of mine has been encouraging me to look for special ways in which God ministers to me during the day. He calls them God moments. They happen all the time, because God is always up to something, as my dad says. It’s just a matter of whether we notice them or not.

This morning I woke up tired, like most college students during exam week. Lord knows how many times I hit the snooze button. When I finally mustered up the energy to roll out of bed, I landed both feet on the floor grudgingly. The window was open and the birds were singing their same sweet song, but I didn’t feel like joining them. Bible verses deck my room walls, but all I could see was today’s intimidating to-do list, and I wasn’t excited. In fact, I was downright miserable. All I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and hide under the warm covers. But everything was about to change on my way to the bathroom, toothbrush in hand…

There was a beautiful big sunflower smiling at me, outside my door. It stood there, tall and confident, looking at me with its usual cheerful boldness. I could not help but return the smile, and laugh to myself. “Seriously, of all flowers, and of all days, it just had to be a sunflower today!” Here’s why. Just recently I learned (from another friend) that sunflowers are phototropic and heliotropic, meaning that they reach for the sun and that their movements pursue the sun. Put simply – their face follows the sun as it moves across the sky, hence its name, the sunflower. Go figure, huh?

So what does all that mumbo jumbo have to do with my morning? Well, it had everything to do with my morning. The sunflower was a timely reminder from God teaching me to look to Jesus. Then the Spirit brought to mind one of my favourite verses.

Those who look to Him are radiant.
Psalm 34:5

Meeting Mr. Sunflower (whose middle name is Radiant, I suspect) has been the best part of my day today... my God moment of the morning, if you will. Although the to-do list hasn’t disappeared (yet!) and I’m still feeling tired, I am encouraged. While the situation hasn’t changed, my focus has… praise the Lord! I resolved then and there to face this last week of school, facing towards the Son. Oh, there is great joy and strength in looking to Jesus.

Thank God, for your God moment today.