Notice When You've Stopped Noticing GodSýnishorn

Jacob was running for his life when he uttered his famous phrase, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it." He had most recently tricked his own father, pretending to be his brother so he could steal the rights to being the firstborn. It was a dirty trick, especially considering his dad’s frail state, but it worked. His mother didn’t mind; she was in on the whole operation. To say that Esau minded is an understatement. He immediately went on the warpath after his younger brother, demanding justice, desperate to get back what Jacob had swindled. I doubt Jacob took time to pack when he ran for his life. At the end of his first day, he lay down exhausted and fell asleep using a stone for a pillow. How tired do you need to be when you can sleep soundly on a stone? God showed up shortly afterward, and Jacob awoke startled, suddenly aware of God’s presence.

I doubt that you relate to Jacob’s predicament, but I am sure you relate to his cry, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it." Do you have trouble noticing God’s presence? I certainly do. It is difficult to notice God when you are running hard. Maybe it is your pace, or maybe it is everything you are holding. Maybe it is what has hold of you. When we are anxious, wrapped up in ourselves, running from one thing to another, or avoiding someone, we are prone to forget the Lord.

Jacob certainly had a competitive advantage over us. God appeared in such a vivid dream that Jacob awoke startled. It is harder for us. God is invisible and therefore intangible, so it can be harder to notice God, especially in our typical days. But we can all pause, take deeper than normal breaths, and relax into God’s actual presence.

Ok, so it can be difficult to notice God, but one thing we can work on is noticing when you’ve stopped noticing God. We can practice by intentionally interrupting our day. I recommend taking six or eight moments per day when you pause and practice a micro habit. A micro habit takes one to ten minutes, and the best micro habits are connected to God’s gifts. What has God given in your life? Looking in the eyes of a loved one, pausing to notice a sunset, listening to a piece of music, savoring a good meal, slowly reading a passage of scripture. Before your next reading, take time to capture a dozen or so micro habits and begin pausing a handful of times today. You will practice the micro habit and relax into God’s presence with a brief prayer of gratitude. As you do, reflect on what you are holding, what has hold of you, and give that over to God.

You might even pause now and set some calendar appointments to help remind you throughout the day.