“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there”
— Psalm 139:7-8

Psalm 139 teaches that God knows all about each one of us and wants to spend time with us. Everywhere we go, He is with us.

One day, I was in Ucluelet, B.C. and decided to go to Florence Bay to walk the beach. This is one of my favorite places to spend time with God. I walked down the half-kilometre trail praying and praising God. I asked Him to show me things, let me feel things, smell things, and experience Him.

Looking off the gravel trail into the woods, I saw all types of trees; some were crooked, broken, skinny, or old. Others were young. They were all part of the forest. Some trees had fallen down, crisscrossing each other with new, smaller ones growing out of them. God does know where every log falls; this reminded me that God knows where we are in our history.

As I continued along the trail, with all its ups, downs, and bends, I could neither see the beach nor hear the crashing waves, but I anticipated the sights and sounds. It was as if the small plants beside the path were cheering me on, shouting, “Keep going! There is much to see.” I picked up my pace and reached the beach. How beautiful it was, even with the light fog and breeze. I started to take pictures of shells, seaweed, and other objects. For a few minutes, I forgot about spending time with my Heavenly Father and instead focused on capturing the perfect picture.

I realized this shift and asked, “Lord, show me something special from You.” Those words were still on my tongue as I looked up and saw a large sea otter about 100 metres away, running in my direction. It ran within five metres of me, stopped, and stared for a few minutes. Then it headed off. What a gift from God! For the next few hours, I enjoyed communing with my Heavenly Father.  What a precious time.

REFLECTION
1. Do you hunger to experience God in a new and fresh way? Consider talking with God as you go about a routine activity today.
2. Read Psalm 139, pausing after each phrase. Consider how intimately your Heavenly Father knows and cares about you.

Stephen Foster has served as the Seamless Link Advisor/District Mission Consultant of the C&MA’s Canadian Pacific District.

Photo credit: El Chupacabrito via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA