In My Doubt God Is Present

I love the way God encourages us through the seemingly ordinary events in life. While on a flight from Dallas to Chattanooga last month I was reminded of a similar trip the previous year when God encouraged me by using a conversation with a stranger.

In October of 2022 on the last leg of my flight to Tennessee, a woman in the seat next to me initiated a conversation early in our journey. Following the introductions, she told me a troubling story of her nephew’s declining health. For the remainder of the trip, I prayed for that nephew and resolved to continue to do so. As I exited the plane, I let this kind stranger know that I would be praying.

Throughout the duration of my lovely visit with Alex, Casi and their boys, it felt as if a type of darkness was stalking me. Deeply troubling thoughts permeated all my quiet moments. Andrew was deployed and we all missed him. Friends experienced separation from children through severed relationships, substance abuse and even death. Unending reports of wars and civil unrest moved closer to home. One moment I was playing games with Luke and Liam and the next I was focusing on the encroaching darkness. At one low point that I prayed “God are you even real? Please help me!! How do I live in this absence of light!!!!!”

On my return flight home, as I was about to take my seat, I heard someone calling out my name from a few seats up. It was the same woman I sat next to on my arrival flight. She shouted across the plane “My nephew is better!” As people boarded the plane around me, I shouted back, “I have been praying for him!” “I knew you would pray. I just wanted to tell you that God answered our prayers but had no way to contact you.” she confessed. I momentarily froze and muttered something like “Wow that's wonderful. By the way, I forgot your name”.

This year’s trip to Tennessee was different than last. I was able to cherish the precious time together with my family without hyper focusing on suffering and heartbreak. God restored my vision reminding me that his kindness and mercy have followed me all my life.

In fact, God managed to reassure both me and my new friend Daina at the same time.

Psalm 139:2, 10-11 “You understand my thoughts from afar…… If I say .‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,’ Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”.