“They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.”
-Francis Bacon

Part of this past weekend Lori and I were blessed to go with a dear friend out through the San Juan Islands on his boat. So, when I came across these words from Bacon this morning their reference got me thinking. Granted, we were never beyond site of land, but being the landlubber than I am it is easy to imagine how my thoughts might change if there was no land in sight. My wishes, and dreams and hopes would definitely change if I went days and days with nothing in sight but the deep blue see.

As I go about my spiritual journey, it can be easy to seemingly go days without seeing God. A small voice inside me cries out as I read those words over: but, I am in His Word. But, I was with His saints. I may even have been in His house of worship. Did I not see God?

There are periods when I just go through the motions, as if sleep walking with my eyes open. I don’t mean to, it just happens. The legs are there. My arms. My eyes, too, but they are not taking in what is around them.

Flashback to this weekend. We had returned from our adventures on the sea and were relaxing on our friends’ deck at their house. As I was out with their dogs, for some reason I was drawn to the sound of bees buzzing in one of the rhododendrons plants next to the deck. As I surveyed the blossoms, watching the bees, I noticed within one flower a tiny frog. Serious. Our of place. Out of context. But there it was. Now I don’t know why or how the frog managed to find its way into that blossom (it was gone the next morning). Yet, in that instant, and upon reflecting this morning, it is as if God is telling me yet again: SLOW DOWN. Look for Me. I am here.

Let me, let us, not think God is distant or absent just because we do not see Him. He is always near. Let us find joy in discovering Him each day. Let our hearts rejoice in even the tiny frogs.