Finding God at a Stoplight Prayer
“God is in the kitchen, sitting quietly with a cup of coffee. God is on the street corner, waiting for the light to change. God is at the bar, watching the game on TV. God is in the beauty shop, listening to the latest stories. There is no place where we are that God is not.”—Steven Charleston, Facebook Page.
I sometimes share this short piece by Bishop Steven Charleston from his daily Facebook Page with spiritual friends who cannot seem to find answers to the question, “So, where do you see God working in your life?” I suggest an exercise at the end of the day to write down the places they have been, the people they have met and would like to remember, and any feelings or thoughts about God’s presence during their day. It is important to write it down, if possible. Writing takes things out of our bodies and minds and into our tangible world. Some think it is silly and never do it. Others find it helpful to begin to see and feel a connection they think they have lost, one that is always there, right beside them, all day and night.
The church where I serve sits at a corner with a stoplight. For some time, our associate rector, Michael, has displayed a short “stoplight prayer” on our church’s electronic sign at the stoplight. We hear weekly from people whose day changes when they stop for just a second to connect with our God, who is always there. Briefly pausing what we are doing and noticing the creation around us is our first step out of ourselves and into the life of knowing and feeling God’s perpetual presence.
Joanna. joannaseibert.com