“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8)

At the outset of our trip to Katmandu and Singapore, I asked the Lord to help me see him, to capture a bit of who he is and what he is about, as we journeyed there to minister through WorldLead. As if he was simply showing off and showing up, he enlightened my spiritual eyes to experience his presence in the most surprising places.

As the Airbus 350 plunged down the runway in Miami, the lineup bordering the airstrip twinkled with guiding lights across the blackened floor. He appears like that! In our lives he is leading, directing, protecting as we maneuver situations far and wide. He is our divine traffic controller overseeing our moves, keeping us from danger on the routine flight path we take each day. Mirroring a supremely capable pilot, he navigates the heavens above and the earth beneath with flawless perfection, encircling us with a deep level of absolute security.

He is our traveling companion who makes us laugh and who also understands when conversation is superfluous. The Lord asks the right questions and also gives us time to open up and share the high points and divulge the low places encamped in our lives.

Who is this God who says he loves us? He is like friends who hug us tight, who notice when we might be having a rough day, and move toward us to help carry the load. God is much like that friend who hears we are moving and comes with a truck to cart boxes and bring along a meal when all of our belongings are still jammed into cardboard containers. He is the one who lays out a sumptuous feast most especially with us in mind.

Our God is like the mentor who notices we might be shouldering weights too cumbersome to bear and chooses to ease them off our mind and onto his. He is the spouse who is our loudest cheerleader and who continues to encourage and uplift us when others have long ago wearied of that role. He knows our deepest need and never just asks, “How may I help you?” or “Hope you know I’m praying for you.” He doesn’t need to be informed. He is fully present in our lives, intimately acquainted with our ways, and has all the time, energy, and resources to get us through every challenging part of our journey. He inspires us to go further, challenges us to take risks, and believes in us when we hardly consider ourselves capable of the task assigned.

Jesus is our profound teacher who takes complex life lessons and adapts them to our level. He is the story-teller extraordinaire, weaving truth into our souls, helping us to see the beauty in our particular stories as well.

Jesus shepherds us through the unfamiliar roundabouts and circuitous routes that seem like mazes intended to trap us within the confines of far-flung locations. He is the opposite of a language barrier; he speaks the mother tongue of our heart.

Above all else, our Lord waits to greet us with his loving arms as we navigate life jet-lagged and haggard. He reaches for us in a foreign land, and we experience the inexplicable joy of being welcomed and well-known far away from home.

Elizabeth A Mitchell

Photo Credit: Cameron Free