Acknowledging God

By:  Donna Martin

We were invited to attend an event a few months ago.  We were delighted to receive the invitation and felt very happy to be included among the guests.  We were some of the first guests to arrive at the event.  When we arrived the hosts briefly acknowledged that we were there, but they were obviously busy with last minute details preparing for the event.  I would have been glad to offer my help, but really did not feel that they wanted me to help, so Mike and I stood by waiting for the event to begin.

Other people began to arrive, it was apparent that many of them knew each other.  Some of them looked familiar to me, but I could not remember their names.  No one acknowledged Mike or me.  I walked around from place to place observing people.  I introduced myself to some of the people, but none of them seemed interested in engaging in a conversation.  Mike gathered with a group of men, but really wasn’t a part of their conversation. 

After a while, a lady whom I had met a few years earlier came up to me.  She had a beautiful smile and was so friendly.  She asked about my family; I asked about hers, and we had a nice conversation.  I was thankful for the interaction even though it was brief.

It was really a strange feeling.  I have been to many events where I did not know a lot of people, but this event was different.   I almost felt as if we had been invisible.

As I was thinking of the day, this thought came to my mind - Is this how God feels?

We invite God into our lives, but sometimes we act as if He is not there.  We ignore His presence and the still small voice that calls to us.  God is always with us.  He longs to be a part of our conversations.  He is always ready to help us.  He wants us to talk to Him, to share our desires, our dreams, our needs with Him.  He wants us to take time to be still and sit with Him.  But how often do we treat Him as if He is not there?  We are so busy with life, with work, with family, with friends and we fail to acknowledge God.  That is until a major need or crisis arises.  But he is always there eagerly waiting ready to help, ready to love, ready to sustain, ready to give us peace and everlasting life when we turn to Him.  He will never fail us.  Be aware of God’s presence, talk to Him, listen to Him, acknowledge Him, introduce Him to your friends and make sure that He is included in every aspect of your life.

Deuteronomy 31:6  ESV “Be strong and courageous. …. the Lord your God goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

The Martins are available to present “Happy Together” Marriage Enrichment Events for churches and organizations.  To schedule an event call Michael at 940-735-1515. They are certified “Prepare/Enrich” Facilitators and are available to work with couples on an individual basis using the “Prepare/Enrich Assessment.”  They publish a weekly “Happy Together” Blog about family and marriage issues.  You can order copies of their new books Dancing With Death and 366 Tidbits We Have Learned in 14,610 Days of Marriage, read, and subscribe to their “Happy Together” Blog by logging onto the Martin’s website at www.happytogethermarriages.com