Looking for God

I recently went on a girls weekend with one of my closest and oldest (longest) friends to Jamaica.  It is such a country of contrasts.  We stayed at a resort surrounded by tall iron fences.  People would come sell their wares on small boats and rafts just on the other side of the ocean boundary.  On the way to and from Montego Bay (or MoBay) we passed neighborhoods with amazing columns, archways, ornamental accents but no windows or doors.  We were informed that this was the ghetto.  Kids here rarely went to school. They couldn't afford it. They had babies at a young age. The babies grew up and turned to crime and the cycle continued.  This was according to our driver when he took us out to eat at a place where tourists don't go (my tongue burned for hours from the jerk pork!)

Afterwards, at the request of my friend, we went to a 'local hangout' - we were the only light skinned folks there.  People were grilling jerk, roasting peanuts, selling beer, rum, sodas, pot, themselves ... My friend had met a 'friend' who worked at the resort and went with us the Dead End.  It was truly a dead end street with a sea wall.  We sat on the seawall and our driver proceeded to get stoned out of his gourd and my friend was 'getting to know' her new friend.  I was basically stuck. Sitting on a seawall near the ghettos of MoBay with nothing to do.  And - yes - I was a bit scared.  The evil was almost tangible.

I started to repeat Joshua 1:9 "Do not be afraid. Be strong and courageous. For I, the Lord your God, will be with you where ever you may go."  Over and over and over.  And the fear left - mostly. Then I asked God to show me where he was. If he was there, show me.   

That was when I noticed a little girl about 2 years old playing on the sidewalk. She was wearing a yellow shirt and yellow hair doodads.  And laughing. Such sweet innocence.  God was there in that little girl. Hope and innocence amid the evil and desperation. 

A bit later I noticed a couple arguing.  The man looked furious. The woman's expression was anger with a tinge of fear.  I didn't understand a word they were saying, but the situation didn't look good.  I was getting scared for the woman when another man came over - shouted some things at Mr. Angry to make him leave. The woman then collapsed on his shoulder in tears. God was there. Protecting her for that moment. 

That was a true change for me. A true turning point.  Knowing God was there - not wondering IF he was. Asking him to show himself to me ... not asking him later where he was.  Trusting that he was there, I only needed the veil drawn back to truly see him.  When we actively are looking for God - we tend to see him. Amazing how that works!!