When I was a pastor, the Wedgewood Church participated in a God Sightings Program. For me, it was one of those simple ideas that helped make God personal and real to people. The idea is simple: God appears to us everyday but we don’t see it because we don’t look for God. By looking for God every day, we learn to see through new eyes of faith.
In the God Sightings program, people were encouraged to go out and watch how God would work in their lives during the week. On Sunday morning we had a time where we shared God sightings. At first it was hard for people to see, but after some practice, many of them got really good at it. They were excited to see all the ways God works in their lives every day.
I still get emails from people who tell me about a God sighting in their life. And I still cherish God sightings in my own life. Here are just a few.
During the government shutdown, as government workers were being held hostage, people opened food kitchens and found ways to give back. Although the government workers felt like pawns, they were reminded every day that people cared about them. One of my friends worked temporarily as a car mechanic. He had no experience but the shop owner needed an extra pair of hands and gave the NPS ranger a reason to get up every morning.
A group of restaurateurs in Washington DC opened a temporary food kitchen for government workers. A museum in St. George Utah waived the entrance fee for furloughed workers and their families. IDK BBQ in Tropic Utah gave away free meals to furloughed workers. The Lakeside Ohio UMC gave away gift cards to Coast Guard members working without pay. All of these were God sightings.
Tom and I experienced our own God sighting at the place we stayed in Georgia during the shutdown. It can be really hard to find a place to stay in a warm climate without reservations months ahead. The RV park we stayed in was a very busy place and was full many nights. But they worked with us as the shutdown dragged on and promised us they would find us a place to stay every night we needed it.
For me, God sightings are a daily event. A beautiful sunset. A wonderful walk in the woods. Finding a new ice cream place. Seeing someone help another person or treat someone with kindness. They are small, daily “I love you”s from God. This is the beauty of a God sighting. It doesn’t have to be a big revelation or life-changing miracle. It is a way of seeing our partnership with God in all the small things we do every day.
How about you? How have you seen God acting in your life? What is your God sighting today?
God sightings are everywhere if we just take the time to see them, right? I am happy to say that I see them almost every day–yesterday we had one when we met a new to church couple who actually live very close to us in Connestee. We took the time to have a conversation with them and now we have new friends! All because we took the time. Glad you are back to work!
So glad God led you to greet this couple. So many people at church never say hi to anyone new. Thanks for being open to the Holy Spirit!
Although most people don’t like the snow, I marvel at the beauty of it all. I love to hike in the snow and hear the crunch and crackling under my boots. So peaceful when it’s the only sound you can hear! God sighting!!
I do love a fresh snow fall. Best if I can walk in it and don’t have to drive anywhere! One or two a year is great!
For me, one is how a greeting card delights, lifts up & cheers a person…with or without a circumstance…making them feel special & being one of His children is a God sighting. Also, re-reading the Bible this year makes me realize how much more there is to learn each time, enabling me to share His word more with others.
Always more for us to learn. Greeting cards can be a God sighting, especially when accompanied by some personal thoughts.