God Sighting in Mount Vernon

Today after spending hours talking to a dear friend about spiritual matters (among other things, of course), I had an hour before youth group over at Lakeholm, so I decided to relax and go for a walk.

I was walking and praising God, thanking Him for the wonderful time I had with my friend, and I asked Him to give me something to share with others, and to make Himself very real to me. I wanted something more than just a regular study at youth group. I wanted something deep and amazing.

So as I was walking, I saw a little rabbit sitting on the grass. I smiled and thanked God for the wonderful creatures He has made. I kept walking. I crossed the bridge that went over the creek. As I walked along the path, I saw a place where I could sit on the rock and put my feet in the water, and just enjoy the surroundings. I put my feet in the water and it was nice and cool. I was thinking about how nice it felt when a passage popped into my head about how the Holy Spirit is the living water. I thought that the same way the cool creek water soothed my feet, the Holy Spirit soothes my soul.

After a little while, some young teens came up and were playing by the creek, so I moved on and sat on a bench and pulled out my Bible. I was reading when I saw a gopher, and I prayed, “God, let me see that closer. I want to see more of Your creation.” The gopher moved a little closer to me, then stopped. I said, “Thank you, God, for making me see that.” Then I turned back to my Bible and continued to read. When I paused and looked up, the gopher stood on it’s hind legs and looked right at me. Then it ran across the field. I thanked God again for His wonderful creation.

The whole time I kept thinking, “God loves these creatures, just think how much more I am to Him!”

It came time that I had to walk to church. As I stood to walk, I saw a red bird fly by. Then I saw two squirrels playing in the trees. I arrived at the church smiling and feeling God surround me with His Spirit. I was so thankful for all the beauty around me.

At first, youth group was awkward. I didn’t know many people, and the ones I knew weren’t people that were especially close to me. But I sat down anyways and tried to get as much out of the lesson as I could. When I started to read the passage for that night, John 4, I was shocked. It was the story of Jesus talking to the woman at the well, telling her about the living water (the Holy Spirit!) and how she would never thirst again.

I praised God! I know that He gave me a vision of this passage and sent it to me at just the right time as a comfort, and confirmed His work by having that be the subject matter of the lesson tonight! This woman was a sinner and had made so many mistakes, but Jesus still offered her the living water. I have sinned and made mistakes, but God forgives me. I still can live to my full spiritual potential through the Holy Spirit. God can use me!!