September 14thGod Sightings
A few weeks ago, in the heat of August, our church ran Vacation Bible School. It was wonderful to see the kids, helped by many of our youth and some adults too, running around and learning about God and His role in their lives. The VBS theme had us set in an imaginary desert, not hard to imagine with all the heat and drought this summer, and the sanctuary was decorated with foam cacti and swaths of sand visuals to set the mood each day. As part of every morning, the children were tasked with sharing a “God Sighting” a time in the past day where they had seen God at work. The “God Sightings” range from a leader being extra helpful to seeing a beautiful flower on your way in to VBS, anything that reminded them of God’s presence in their lives. When a child shared a “God Sighting” they took a paper flower and stuck it to a foam cactus, that was, by the end of the week, more flower than cactus.
The Sunday following VBS, our congregation held our yearly service at Camp Valaqua where we were blessed to celebrate the baptisms of two of our young people. It had rained the night before, so everything was damp, and the baptisms were held in the Little Red Deer River, all the water a stark contrast to the desert theme of the previous week. The setting and the celebration provided ample opportunities for “God Sightings”, and provided a clear reminder that God is present with us at the river as well as in the desert.
There have been times this summer when “God Sightings” have seemed harder than usual to spot. With heat and drought, here at home and around the world, compounded with rising prices, and a seemingly never-ending pandemic, it can be hard to remember that God is with us in the desert. It’s much easier to feel God’s presence by the river, under the tall trees, surrounded by the beauty of His creation and celebrating the commitment of new members to Christ.
As the seasons change from summer to fall we hope that some of the more trying elements might drop away; scorching heat will turn to cool crisp days, and rain will fall soothing the parched earth. We also know that some of the human concerns that press on us will remain; escalating prices and pandemic surges threaten to continue without certainty to their end. But the Lord will also remain. He will be with us in the desert and by the river, in the summer and the fall. As for me, fall is my favourite season. I love the transition to sweaters and warm drinks; I love the colour in the trees and the bite in the air. Fall is a time when I see God Sightings everywhere. As fall arrives and we settle into cooler days and winter preparations, may you find opportunities to see God in all places.