Q U I C K S C A N

Where Faith Comes In
Searching for God
For Teens: Accentuate the Positive
For Kids: What Does God Look Like?

I saw God today. I saw him yesterday, too. In fact, I see him almost every day.

Now, before you stop reading because you think I’m crazy, let me explain. It’s not actually God that I’m seeing, but rather everyday examples of God.

I’m not exactly sure when it was that I first started noticing these everyday miracles—maybe it was when I had my first child—but now that I do, I see them everywhere. And they’re not always as groundbreaking as the births of my children. Sometimes they’re as common as hearing my one-year-old daughter, Riley, say a new word or watching my older daughter, Maddie, learn to read. The other night it was when I sat and watched my kids sleeping.

But it’s not always positive and happy. Sometimes the messages I find can be a real wake-up call. One morning after I lost my temper with my kids, I was sitting in traffic in front of the local grade school. I looked up and saw the sign in front of the school bearing the message, “Use self-control.” Point taken.

Where Faith Comes In

I like to think that I’m not the only person who has these brief encounters with God. After all, God came to Moses in a burning bush. And don’t we all have an encounter with Jesus each time we receive Communion? So maybe it’s just that we’re not looking hard enough.

That’s where our faith comes in. We know that God is always there for us—our Catholic faith teaches us that. But, unfortunately, we don’t always execute that very well. Our faith is very much a living, breathing and changing thing. God is there; it’s up to us to keep looking for ways God shows up in our lives.

Searching for God

Here are some suggestions to help in the search for God in your everyday life:

Stop and look around. Take five minutes out of your busy day and look for God. You might be surprised at all the things you’ll notice—and in a new way.

As I said before, I pass a grade school every day on my way to work. Since I connected with that one message on its board out front, I now find myself reading and reflecting on the weekly message regularly. I’m also paying more attention to signs in front of the various churches in our area.

Talk to your kids. Ask them to tell you how they think God looks. You might get some interesting replies. Share your mental images of God with them.

Tune in. One of my family’s favorite shows is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. We watch it for a number of reasons—to be inspired, put our own lives in perspective and celebrate the generosity of others. Take some time to look for examples of God working through others. They could be on TV, in a magazine or newspaper article, in a newsletter you receive or your church bulletin. Be inspired by them. For those stories that are not as uplifting, reflect and know that God is still with those who are suffering.

Be open. As adults, we tend to think we have a lot of the answers. Try to be open to new things or perspectives. Embrace mysteries. Pray, meditate or just sit quietly. Seek out insight from someone you would not normally turn to, such as your kids. It’s in those moments of letting go and opening up that you just might see God.

For Teens: Accentuate the Positive

These days, it’s extremely difficult not to get bogged down with all the bad things that are going on around us—terrorism, war, illness, etc. But amidst all that, there are still really great and positive things going on. We just have to look for them.

For one week, take extra notice of all the ways you see God every day—a new baby, a flower blooming, a selfless act. And then each evening say a prayer of thanks for those things.

Then the following week, try to do your part to be an outward sign of God’s love. It might be as simple as pointing out something positive when others are focusing on the negative. Or it could be doing something nice for someone else—give a compliment, bake cookies for a friend “just because,” write a letter to say thanks or tell someone what he or she means to you. The possibilities are endless. And not only will you make others feel good, you’ll probably feel great, too.

For Kids: What Does God Look Like?

Of course that’s a silly question, because no one really knows what God looks like. But we can imagine. I always pictured God as someone who looked similar to my grandpa. But for others the image of God probably is quite different.

A group of students in Hawaii a few years ago spent some time reflecting on ways they see God in their everyday lives. Their teacher sent them out to take pictures of things they thought reflected God. The result was the book God’s Photo Album. (This magazine ran a cover story on the project in October 2001.)

Ask your mom, dad, grandma or grandpa to get you a camera that you can use and then go out and find God. Or draw a picture. Write down and share with others how you think your picture shows God. Ask friends and family what they would photograph or draw a picture of to show God.