Where Are You?

When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she’d know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.
Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.
When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.
God called to the Man: “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:6-9

Sometimes it's all too easy to want to hide from God. It's easier to walk swiftly past the homeless person than to acknowledge him or her and perhaps lend a hand, or an ear, or even a smile or kind word. It seems more useful to rush from one thing to another in the name of getting things done than it is to stop and answer a friend's call, play with a child, or simply slow down to enjoy the journey. 

What if, as you walked by that homeless person, God asked you, "Where are you?" What if, as you ignored your friend or brushed off your child, God asked the same? How would you answer? Would you have a suitable excuse to give?

As we move through our days this Advent, why don't we check in with ourselves often, asking "Where are you?" and changing our actions if our answers miss the mark. This will help to keep us more mindful of how we're treating ourselves and others, of our actions as well as our inactions. It is my hope that this will call attention to the thought processes that hold us back from Reflecting God and lead us to live more in the moment, present with all we encounter. 

Where are you today?