There were 2 pivotal pieces of wisdom that were shared to the group by my fellow Fellows this semester that have been really influential in the way that I’ve viewed February and hope to view the rest of the semester. They both happened during a roundtable a couple of weeks ago when we were asked the question, “How have you seen God show up in your life this week?” People said really beautiful and encouraging things about their host families, mentors, people in the church, classes, Neighbor 2 Neighbor, and a ton of other good things the Raleigh Fellows has to offer. But what Kassie and Luke said has stuck with me over the month.
Kassie replied by talking about how she teared up from something as small as a sunny day where it was 75 degrees outside. She elaborated on how it meant Spring was coming and there’s so much to look forward to while still staying grounded in the present. She talked about the budding of the flowers and how God is in every detail of creation. Luke replied by saying something as simple as, “the little things.” He went on to talk about how his workplace hasn’t been the greatest, but he’s seen growth with some of his co-workers and how that’s such a testament to the Lord.
Both of these comments, while Kassie and Luke may think they just got swept under the rug, have really affected the way that I view everyday life with the Lord. As someone who started a relationship with Jesus late in high school and felt worth by being hardworking and doing the right thing, for years I felt most worthy of God’s love by waking up early, spending time with the Lord, and starting my day that way. Throughout college this mentality never swayed, and I tried to be intentional and disciplined enough to make sure all of my days started this way. It was what I knew, and it was how I felt like I was doing what was right as a Christian man. I want to emphasize here how it is a really good thing to daily come to the table and spend time in the living word of God. But I also want to stress how I’ve been affected by thinking God’s love is conditional to a set time and place every day. Kassie and Luke have helped me to see that God is all around us at all times and is constantly making Himself known to us if we would just open our eyes to see Him. I’m reminded of Chapter 6 of Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning in which Manning says:
“If our faith is alive and luminous, we will be alert to moments, events, and occasions when the power of resurrection is brought to bear on our lives. Self-absorbed and inattentive, we fail to notice the subtle ways in which Jesus is snagging our attention.”
This quote is so true and is a reality check to me as to the ways I’m noticing the present risenness of Jesus in the here and now. He’s constantly trying to snag our attention and tell us, “Look! Here I am! Right next to you!” The reality is, He really is all around. To think that He’s limited in His ability to present Himself to us is absurd. I’m eager when looking into the future and noticing all the small things that are around me that are little testaments to the Lord’s faithfulness throughout the day.
It’s crucial to realize that we can’t close God in a box and take Him out whenever we feel like it or whenever is most convenient to us. His love is unconditional and timeless as well as devoted and enduring. He’s a jealous God who desires our love for Him through faith in His son who died on the cross for us. And if we aren’t present to the risenness of Jesus and the resurrection life that accompanies it, we aren’t living into the true selves that God longs for us to become. With that being said, here are some of the smaller things that I’ve noticed the Lord in over the course of the month thanks to my friends who provoked me to start noticing.
- Praying over every meal, not just when we sit down together on Thursday nights.
- Conversations with pastors and people in the church outside of the church setting.
- Celebrating my mom for her birthday dinner in Asheville.
- Being with my high school friends and having conversations about real life, not just sports and insignificant stuff.
- Taking the 2 oldest Boulton boys to the Trinity basketball game.
- Talking with some of the high schoolers in the youth group about their lives
- Driving with my friend Peyton to Charlotte for a concert.
- Time with Sam Crutchfield and the rest of the Raleigh Fellas.
- Writing my mid-year reviews for the Fellows.
- Going on runs and thankfulness for a healthy body.
- Thrifting with Brendan.
- Serving at the Galentines Party for the youth group kids.
Jacob McCarthy