What to Do When God is "Nowhere"

"He's nowhere!"

My 3-yr old frantically cried as she looked for her big brother to no avail.

Just 5 minutes before, they were playing happily in the backyard. My little girl popped in for a quick water break, and when she ran back to the door, she couldn't see her brother. She proceeded to search the house, calling for him in each room.

No answer.

So she went to the front yard to see if he was in his usual place - his favorite climbing tree.

Not there either.

By the time she came to me in the kitchen, she was crying and said, "Mommy, I can't find bubba!"

"Oh I'm sure he's somewhere around here. Let's go find him."

I went to the back door where I just heard him giggling moments before. Looking out, I could clearly see him lying on the grass taking a break from all that hard work playing.

He was only about 15 feet away from the back door.

I said, "Bubba is right there silly!" Then went back to the kitchen to finish dishes.

She stood there at the door for a minute and came running back to me in full-on panic mode. She was crying, screaming and downright distraught.

"No. He's. Not. Mommy.  He's NOWHERE!!"

Walking back to the door, I saw him right where he was before. Just 15 ft away resting on the ground and watching the clouds.

"Look, baby. Bubba is right there – right in front of you!"

The look in her eyes told me she did not see what was plainly there. So I got down to her eye level and was shocked at what I saw:

Nothing!

Nothing but the 6-inch deep rim of our patio table, that is.

The depth of the tabletop and my 3-yr old's height intersected in such a way as to  block any view of her brother. In reality, he was only a few feet away, but to her he was "nowhere."

I wonder how many of us mamas allow a patio table to distort our view of God?

Of course, I don't mean a literal table, but ours could easily come in some other form. 

• Fear?
• Anxiety?
• Stress?
• Discontent?
• The trenches of motherhood?

I'm sad to say I've let a few "tables" block my view too. Have you?

When we remove those tables though, we find that God is still there – as faithful and sure as always.

But what do we do when the blinders seem glued to our face?

I'm no expert, but this one thing has helped me tremendously in times like this:

Stand on His Promises

I'm so glad God gave us His Word to cling to when all else seems lost. Though I don't always utilize it as I should, I believe the solution to every problem can be found in the Word of God. 

Here are just a few verses you can read (and re-read) during those moments He seems to be "missing."

“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalms 37:25

I hope this thought and these verses are an encouragement to you today.

If you are His child, you can rest assured that He IS still there. Though my sweet girl was as distraught as she's ever been, fully convinced in her own mind that her bubba was missing, he was actually just feet away all along.

It just took a different perspective to see it.  

Blessings,

Jordan Mitchell

Jordan Mitchell is a homeschooling mama to 3 sweet kiddos. When not teaching, cooking or cleaning, she works as a freelance copywriter and wellness blogger. She blogs about healthy living tips for busy moms over at Detox & Prosper (https://www.detoxandprosper.com). Follow her on Pinterest for practical ways to lead a healthier life! (https://www.pinterest.com/detoxprosper)