Straining To Hear

I had a lot on my mind all day yesterday, and was having one of those frustrated "where are you God?" conversations with myself at the kitchen sink. I do my best talking to myself, especially over dishes, where I can say things like "if you had used more butter, you wouldn't have to scrub the egg off the pan like that". Well, in the midst of being attentive to my own babbling, I picked up the strainer out of the dish drain, and God gave me a little nudge. One of those Spirit nudges that said "hey, do you remember how much you hated your old strainer? How the one edge was broken and every time you used it to make iced tea it would dump some leaves back in the pot? Then you stopped at that yard sale, and you actually had cash, and there was an almost brand new one just for you? That was me. I love you, and I care about even the smallest parts of your life." Darn it, I was wallowing in myself so well until that moment. So, the "where are you God?" was answered with "right here". Right here so close that I am watching you make tea, and seeing you struggle with a piece of broken plastic. That's close, people. That's not "God is way up there, and I am way down here", that's "hi, I'm in your kitchen with you" close. Is the "where are you God, do you not even hear me?" question on your tongue today? It's an easy one to ask when life is hard. Look over your shoulder. He's right there. Don't believe it? Open your Bible. Find the many places where it says "the Lord heard". He is hearing you. He sees your struggle. He is right there. That is where God is today. Deuteronomy 26:7 "Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, AND THE LORD HEARD..."