Yet God Is Always There
By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman
When our daughter Hannah first began teaching, she taught kindergarten. At one point during that year she was on the playground with her class. It was midday and the children were caught up in their play when one of them noticed the moon, visible despite the daylight.
What is that? he asked Hannah. The moon, she answered.
The moon?! His eyes were wide with amazement and he began shouting to everyone. Look! It’s the moon! And it’s not night time!
Suddenly all play stopped and twenty 5-year-olds stood in rapt silence, eyes wide, looking with astonishment and wonder at the moon in the midday sky.
Hannah’s explanation of the sight of the moon in the daytime only seemed to enhance the awe of the children.
The moon is always there? Yes. The moon is always there. We just aren’t always able to see it.
Wow.
I have treasured this story for the last few years because it has reminded me of my spiritual journey. This year, however, it seems to hold even more meaning.
We are in the midst of difficult and often frightening times. COVID19 continues to threaten our health and wellbeing. Violence is rampant in so many parts of our world. Divisiveness, polarization, conflict, and controversy abound. Our world feels more broken and hurting than ever. It is easy to feel as though God is not there. It is easy for fear to cast a harsh glare.
Yet God is always there, even when we cannot fully see.
As we continue to navigate the challenges of 2020, I pray that you will cultivate the wonder experienced by those kindergarteners when they saw a midday moon. Even in the midst of hardship, I pray that you will continue to nurture a sense of gratitude for all that you can – and cannot – see, knowing that God is faithful and does not abandon us in our fear or distress.
This week, those of us in the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving. In that spirit of gratitude, I want to say thank you to all of you who are friends of World Methodist Evangelism. You are like to the moon to us – always there even though we cannot always see you. We are grateful for your faithfulness to us, for your prayers, and for your financial support – especially in these difficult days. And like those kindergartners, we continued to be filled with wonder and joy when God enables us to see you, to share our lives together, and to join in spreading the good news of God’s great love to all the world.