sign of grace

Sunday June 12^th, Isaiah 65:  ¹ "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.  To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' Several years ago there was a rash of bumper stickers with the words, “I’ve found it.”  I always found it to be an interesting example of anthropocentric arrogance.  It reminds me of the time in the store when one of my children wandered off.  I followed them, remaining somewhat out of sight just to see how long it would take for them to notice they were lost, and then be near and use it as a teaching moment about the need to stay near.  The goal is that when they finally realized they are lost and cry out, you can descend on the scene and use the moment to comfort and teach.  Sometimes however, my children would simply respond with “O there you are” as if they had found me and then they would prepare for their next getting lost session.  So it is with humanity.  We wander away through the aisles of life, unaware of being lost until some calamity strikes, we cry out, God appears and we assume that God was the one who was distant and we somehow, through our own holiness, found God.  The reality is that God is the one combing the aisles of life waiting patiently for us to realize we are lost and need God in our lives and then we open our eyes to see the God that has been there all along. When we open our eyes, or hearts or heads or spirits to the presence of the God who is already there, it is to us, a sign of grace.