If you’re like me, finding God in all things can sometimes be a challenge. I truly admire Becky for writing this blog, calling to our attention how we can see God work through others and in situations we find ourselves. It’s through these little daily reminders that our frame of mind becomes one that allows us to better see God’s work.
I also think that, in looking for God in other things, we sometimes forget that God works through and is inside of us. Social scientists (yes, Chris, I’m going there) would say that this is partially because of our “field of view.” We focus a majority of our attention on the external world simply because we don’t really have a mechanism to “watch” ourselves; so, it is absolutely reasonable that we neglect an internal focus when it comes to our search for God’s works. If we spend all of our time looking for how God is in everything else, though, we might forget that He is asking us and calling us to do His work, too.
I’m reading a great book right now, titled “Jesus Today” and written by Albert Nolan, that makes me question my old assumption that Jesus knew he was the son of God. Nolan discusses the various influences on Jesus’ spirituality and why Jesus was so willing to go against the norms of the day in an attempt to achieve His mission. We know that Jesus saw God’s love in everything and everybody he encountered; perhaps it was through an early inference He made that ‘if God is in everything, then He is surely within me’ that Jesus was able to be as influential in those times as He continues to be today. This human awareness that God was in Him may have prompted his great commitment to social justice and His focus on loving others.
If God is in all things, then God is most certainly within us, too. By increasing our awareness of this, we might be better able to heed His call to do His work. When challenges arise or we are called on to effect positive change in the world, the recognition that God is working through us enables us to more appropriately and lovingly make choices. His call to love each other is more difficult to ignore when we acknowledge that He is truly within us.
What opportunities did God put my way today? How is God working through me to make our world a better place? When have I ignored the fact that God is within me and wants to get to work?
— Ryan Vogel
Becky Eldredge
Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.
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