Lake Deaton at Home

Friday, December 3, 2021

Witness:  Glenda Wolfe

Scripture:  Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2

Weekly Theme: Hope

In the movie, Sleepless in Seattle, Meg Ryan’s character, Annie, comments several times “it’s a sign.”  The first time is when she is trying on her grandmother’s wedding dress and the sleeve rips.  She is about to be married, but she doesn’t feel the magic she senses should be in a forever love story.  She is looking for some kind of proof or a sign of what should be.

Though this is only a movie, for many Christians, we often call signs from God, God moments.  What is a God moment? For me, it’s an experience that signals that something larger is at work in my life or the lives of people around me and God is making me aware of his presence.

I’ve experienced these moments.  One in particular, happened here in our church at the start of the service. We had sat down and suddenly an overpowering feeling, a voice in my head, and out of context, said, you must pray for Ethan (our grandson).  I leaned over and took Bruce’s hand and said quietly, God is urgently telling me we must pray for Ethan now!  Bruce didn’t question, we both just quietly started praying for whatever Ethan needed.  At prayer time, I went to one of the prayer stations, and continued to pray.  During the rest of the day at different intervals, I would say a prayer of protection for Ethan.  It wasn’t a feeling of foreboding, but just one that Ethan needed our prayers.

That was a Sunday morning. That evening, we called our son, Ethan’s father, and asked if all was well with Ethan.   He thought it odd we called because he was just getting ready to call us to let us know Ethan was in a car wreck earlier in the evening while coming home from work.  He is fine and even though the car overturned on a curve, he had on his seatbelt and he walked away without a scratch.  The car was totaled, but Ethan was fine.  

This was a powerful God moment and is a reminder that in this season of Advent, for believers and non-believers, there are so many signs of the proof of Christ’s birth.  Take a quiet time to read the signs in the scriptures, and in your daily lives be open to recognize when God is trying to get your attention by giving you a sign.

Daily Prayer:  Holy God, the Majesty and Glory of your name fill me with gratitude and wonder of how you show your love to me in big and small ways.  Thank you for considering my prayers and always let me be a witness to others of your love.

Discussion/Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever had a God moment or felt God speaking to you?
2. How does it make you feel when you read scripture prophesies foretelling the signs of our Savior’s birth?
3. What do you do during the Advent season that confirms your gratitude to God and honors the miracle of Christ’s birth?