How much of God’s goodness do we notice? As the year comes to a close, holiday functions, family dynamics, and giving decisions all scream for our attention in a way God rarely does. But this struggle is not new. For all time, humans have required a rare state of attunement to really notice God’s presence: silence, stillness, a deep breath, a calm and clear mind.
Peter had to ignore the raging sea and focus on Jesus to walk on water. David frequently wrote about seeking God in silence and stillness. And during a season of deep despair, the prophet Elijah witnessed God’s quiet, calm presence. While wind, earthquakes, and fire were screaming for his attention, he found God beyond the noise:
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
– 1 Kings 19:11-12
Thousands of years later, God once again arrived in a gentle whisper. Most people in the city of Bethlehem slept through the birth of the Messiah. Miles away, angels split the night sky with song, and shepherds trembled in awe. But the people in the city lay quiet, unaware their Savior had drawn his first breath.
As he so often does, God slipped into the world quietly, humbly, hidden in plain sight. And the world was forever changed. Despite being missed by so many, God was fully present among them – filling even the silence with his glory. And from that moment on, for more than 2,000 years, God’s presence has been with each and every one of us. But how often do we notice?
We, too, are prone to missing the glory of our Savior, but not because we’re sleeping. We rush through our days, fill every moment, and overlook the quiet ways God is moving in the world. We miss the undercurrent of his glory all around us. We miss holy opportunities for gratitude and giving – perhaps the two postures most connected to God’s work.
The two go hand in hand, one naturally flowing from the other. When we make space in our days and weeks to be still, to remember all we have to be grateful for, we create an environment for noticing the movements of our Savior. We’re able to take an intentional breath, inhaling gratitude and exhaling generosity.
And generosity has a way of keeping us connected to God’s sacred work. Through giving, we see the world differently. We are awakened to the most undiluted version of God’s presence. All we have to be grateful for comes into crisp focus, generating more generosity, more connection to God’s work.
This Advent, maybe the invitation is not to do more, but to notice more. To step into the quiet of the night. Calm our restless minds. Tune in to the divine story steadily unfolding all around us. Then, split the sky with our song. Tremble in his presence. Delight in the existence of a Savior who is fully present – always – and join him in his sacred work.
Be still, and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10
Ask:
What subtle ways have you seen God moving in your life that you might have missed if you hadn’t been paying attention?
Jesus came humbly, unnoticed by most. Does this say something about how we should show up in the world?
How can generosity help you slow down and tune in to what God is doing around you?
Generosity can awaken us to God’s presence. What specific act of giving this season could be your way of showing God you see his work and trust he is always near?
