Unaware

A friend of mine shared this story with me this week: a few weeks ago he was at a large event and he saw a friend of his in a line and went up and stood right behind his friend. The friend, in the midst of several hundred other people was "Unaware" of his presence, so in typical 2012 fashion he texted his friend, and then decided to call his friend and the entire time the friend was still "Unaware" he was right behind him. Finally he reached up and tapped his friend on the shoulder and the friend was completely startled with his presence.
This story really got me thinking about how often we get caught up  in all that is going on and are completely "Unaware" of Gods Presence.

In Genesis Jacob is startled by this as well as he didn't know that God was accessible from anywhere and Jacob even acknowledges that he wasn't even aware!

I am with you and will
watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." (Genesis 28:15, 16 NIV)

We often forget this following scripture ourselves and much like Jacob are not aware that God is with us.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16, 17 NIV)

God has chosen to dwell within us and at times we are like the friend in the story that is completely "unaware" that someone who cares about us is right beside us, or in this case dwelling within us.  The noise of the crowd at the event made it hard for text messages and phone calls to alert this person of
who was with him and then a tap on the shoulder did it and it was a relief to see a friend.

How many times are we in situations that we let the noise of all that is going on allow us to forget that a God who loves us is dwelling within us.    It is obvious at times that I have missed that or how else at could I feel alone, aggravated, etc when God is dwelling within me?  

I am thankful for the "tap on the shoulder" that this story gave to me and pray it is beneficial for you this week.

In Christ,
Matthew Likens

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