One Simple Question Transformed My Understanding of God
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -- John 16:33
When my children were toddlers, I joined a women’s Bible study at church. Dropping my boys off at childcare gave me two precious hours to engage with adults and focus on faith instead of diapers and chasing little ones.
In the study circle one morning, an older woman shared that over the years she’d learned to get curious when hardship arose. When something difficult happened, she’d taught herself to ask, “God, what do you want me to see?”
I confess her words elicited a less than spiritual response in me. Internally, I rolled my eyes. I doubted anyone could be that serene in the face of hard things. As we know from experience and insurance commercials, life comes at you fast. My typical response to hardship leaned more toward flailing and frustration than curiosity.
I needed reorienting, so I decided to try her strategy. Faced with three growing boys and a limited grocery budget, I prayed, “Okay, God. What do you want me to see?” I was drawn to the scripture account of a widow preparing a last morsel of food for herself and her son before starving to death. (1 Kings 17) God showed up to provide flour and oil that would not run out. Alone in the quiet, I encountered the God who cares deeply about earthy things, like how much food a mother has to feed her children.
Later, worn out by work, parenting, and struggling to appear like I had things together, I fell to my knees. “God, what do you want me to see?” The story of Elijah despairing under a juniper tree spoke to my heart. To Elijah, God came in the form of an angelic messenger and a snack. I encountered the God who meets us where we are to offer rest and recuperation without guilt.
Several years ago, the question became a lifeline. Facing loss and real heartbreak, discouraged by my reactions and choices, I pleaded, “God, what do you want me to see?” Gospel accounts of Peter’s stubbornness and betrayal offered hope. Through my tears, the kindness of God embraced me. I encountered the God who draws close to the brokenhearted to build rock-solid foundations of faith.
I still think of that woman and the wisdom she shared: I don’t need to confine my faith to set apart, holy hours. I can seek and find God everywhere, in the real stuff of life.
Through moves and transitions, from changing diapers to dropping kids off at college, through dire news reports and a world of brokenness both inside and outside the church, the answer to the question of “God, what do you want me to see?” is always the same.
I Am with you. I will not let you go.
We are not promised a life without pain. In fact, in John 16:33 Jesus tells us something important: “In this world you will have trouble.” But he also says this: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20)
Question for Reflection:
Are you facing a difficult situation and unsure what to do? Pray for eyes that see as God sees. “God, what do you want me to see?” is a simple prayer that can reorient you to notice how God is with you in every situation and will show up in surprising ways to offer direction and peace.
Amy Olrick’s work and writing have been featured in the Guardian, USA Today, and ChristianParenting.com. She and her husband, Dr. Jeffrey Olrick, are co-authors of the book, The 6 Needs of Every Child: Empowering Parents & Kids through the Science of Connection and share parenting resources at GrowingConnected.com
