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I had a revelation as the clouds were hovering over me this afternoon. As I stood before bright blue and green waters, I had a time of reflection that brought proper perspective. We’re taught that when the hard times come, we are to “get away and go be with God.” And while I know what concept it’s meant to convey, the wording does not accurately portray His heart.

When it really comes down to it, in the tragedies that befall us, He does not expect us to climb the mountain and come to him, but rather, He is already here, sitting next to us in the  middle of our pain and in our heartbreak. This path that we’re on is not one that is dependent upon our ability to “reach God”. We keep building and stacking our towers of Babel, only to forget that He himself removed his robe of glory and came down to us. 

What separates us from the rest of the world and from other religions is that we do not serve a God who requires us to understand Him. We have given our lives to someone who came to earth and lived exactly as we do and sympathizes in fullness with us. He is not so out of touch with reality that He forgets we are merely dust. He made us and he knows that even with our well intentioned hearts and outstretched arms, we cannot reach far enough to grab ahold of Him. That is why He came to us and it’s why He stayed.

Oh, God..in the deepest of trials and the darkest of times, may I never forget that it was not I who ever found you, but that it was you who chose to come to me. Let me never stray in my heart from the idea that I cannot build with my hands something that will place me in front of you. May I know that I am always before you because you have already come to me. There is no place I must go to find you because you have made your home in me. Holy Spirit, when you came, you stayed. Holy Spirit, you do not leave us, even in our grief, our anger, our questions. You are not a God who cannot handle the grief of His people. You are not a God who has not felt the sting of tragedy. You are not shaken by our questions, or bewildered by our agony that we bring before you. In our sorrow and our ignorance, you are not dismayed and we are not removed from your heart.

You are here. Even in this, our season of great sorrow, You are here.