Meeting God Where He Lives
By Susan Klein
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”
1 John 4:16b
Her name was Tatiana. She was perched upon a low granite wall along the entrance to the park in the affluent downtown area. Her crutches were propped against the wall to her left and a cloth bag with all her earthly possessions lay open to her right. It was a warm, sunny morning and she smiled up at the sky under her big floppy hat. Tatiana was a street person, by choice.
Many businesspeople passed by this spot each day so it was a great vantage point to request money from passersby. This day, however, was a Sunday, so the streets were only dotted with occasional tourists and those seeking brunch at one of the trendy restaurants. I was one of those tourists.
Feeling somewhat dismayed that we had not gone to church that morning, I tried to take my mind off of it by focusing on the beautiful park. Camera poised, I was about to shoot some bronze statues of children playing in a fountain a few yards ahead when I heard, “Excuse me. Could you spare a few coins?” I stopped, opened my purse, and handed her a few folded bills. She graciously thanked me and put them in her bag. I moved over toward the fountain and started to compose my shot, but was unable to focus. The voice speaking to my conscience was saying, “You wanted to meet with Me this morning. Go over to the wall. I am there.” I know better than to ignore that voice!
As I re-approached her, Tatiana welcomed me to sit next to her and to inquire about her life circumstances. She shared how she lost her leg in an accident, how she came to America from Russia, how she was without her husband and estranged from her adult daughter, and how she, an artist “in need of art supplies,” had chosen this lifestyle so she could be free to paint. She pulled a small canvas from her bag upon which was painted a portrait of Jesus. She commented in her broken English that she prayed to Jesus, so she wanted to paint Him. I told her I prayed also, and asked if I could pray for her, right there on the wall. She consented. As I rested my hand on her soiled shirt-sleeve, we closed our eyes to the world around us and met with our Abba Father. In those few quiet moments, I felt a closeness to God and to this woman that had to be rooted in His love for us both. I hoped Tatiana felt it as well. As we parted ways, I knew this was a meeting with God in a place that I would cherish forever!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where are you meeting God these days? Look for Him outside the norm!
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 25:40; James 1:27
Susan is our Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She is also involved in youth outreach ministry.
