Where Do You See God in Our World?

Have you ever wondered where God is when things seem to continue to go wrong in your life or for those whom you care so much about? You might say to yourself, “I am trying to do my best to be a good person, but bad things continue to happen.” On one of the directed retreats that I attended, the director asked me that same question during our session, “Where do you see God in this situation?” Since September 2020, I have been asking myself that question. It has been an unusual time for all of us, a time, in my mind, when our earth in coordination with Mother Nature has given us a reason to sit back and reflect on the events in our lives and around the world. An early hurricane season devastated islands and the southern and east coast of the United States, not once but several times, while wildfires burned homes, businesses and forests on the west coast. People without shelter or food. War continues in Iraq, and many of our soldiers who return are never the same. The campaign for the presidency was like no other: name-calling, disrespect for the people they represent, lies, violence, and racism. The unnecessary death of a black man by a police officer sparked demonstrations calling for justice resulted in violence. And then there is COVID-19, which has resulted in the total deaths of more people in the United States than the total number of people killed in World War I & II, the Vietnam War and 9-11. These numbers do not include the people who have died around the world. Let us not forget the winter storm that brought travel to a standstill in some states; caused damage from falling trees, busted pipes, and power outages that could not be fixed overnight. Temperatures were as low as negative one degree in some parts of Louisiana and lower in other states. People died from lack of shelter or weather-related accidents.

“Where do I see God in all of this?” I know in my heart that God loves all of us more than we can ever imagine, but sometimes things can become overwhelming when they begin to happen one after the other within a year. But when I took the time and really looked for Him, I found Him. I found Him in our governor who asked for prayers in any difficult situation in our state. I found him in the utility workers who worked anywhere they were needed, and long hours after the hurricanes and the snowstorm. I found Him in the news media when they celebrated our Front-Line Heroes. I found Him in the people who volunteer every day to work with the poor to provide food and shelter, especially during extreme weather conditions even during this pandemic. They never stopped helping them, they just found safer ways to do it. I saw Him in truck drivers who brought in water for those without it. He was in the people who helped others in cars stuck in the snow. He was in the athletes that showed us how to call attention to injustice without violence. Scientists are still working to make the vaccine better for all of us - the National Guard and the Red Cross and so many others.

I watched my husband find a way to give our parishioners hope by letting them know he would be praying the “Divine Mercy Chaplet,” every day at 3 o’clock for an end to the pandemic or a safe vaccine and to join him on our Facebook page. He also includes those who have called and asked him to pray for a special intention. Our secretary, who emails a daily uplifting thought for the day. In the coworker of a friend of mine who found someone to vacuum the water out of one of her rooms that flooded after the ice melted and has done some carpentry work for her at no charge. He is in one of our church members who took time in the snowstorm to check on another church member whose pipe had busted in the house and took her to his house until it was fixed. He was in the doctors and nurses that worked with a friend who had COVID-19 and helped her survive even though they feared the worst. Closest to me I see him in all my brothers and sisters who help us pray for my friends and family and for the whole world. Some have been with us every day, some a specific day of the week, some in our parish and others I may or may not know from other church families in Louisiana and across the United States.

Where is our God during this uniquely difficult time for the world? He is with and in all His creation, listening to, working with, providing for, consoling us, laughing with and answering our prayers. He gives us everything that we need each day that animates us to be the best that we can be to each other in this world that he has given us. He is always there for us so if something is troubling you do as I did sit down in a quiet place and ask God your question and then reflect on it. If you ask and listen in earnest, you will receive an answer. God answers prayer. I got mine.