What if we assume ... everything we have is actually not random at all?

07Apr
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 
-Mark 16:9-20


I am not sure how Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and to others, but it must have been in a way that was different than he appeared before he died on the cross. If this were not the case, surely those who loved Jesus and walked with him so many miles would not have struggled to recognize him.


I wonder how often God appears to us and we fail to recognize God? We blow things off as a coincidence rather than imagining that it might be God trying to get our attention. Einstein is often quoted as having said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Regardless of whether Einstein really said this, it might be worthy of our contemplation.


What if we assume that God deeply desires a relationship with us? And what if we admit that we sleep-walk through so much of our lives? Isn’t it possible that God spends quite a bit of time trying to get our attention? What would it be like to spend an entire day assuming that every thing we see, everyone we meet, every dream we have is actually not random at all? Rather these myriad things are God trying to be in relationship with us, trying to inject gifts into our lives, trying to show us a love that surpasses our understanding. What if we assume that something is always being given to us? How then would we live?


Musical Reflection - Open the Eyes of My Heart - Michael W. Smith


Loving, merciful and generous God, please open our eyes to see and receive the gifts, awareness and changes in perspective that are available to us each and every day. Amen.

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