Y'all. I have to tell you about possibly the most ridiculous thing I did last week. And by ridiculous, I mean the kind of thing that makes you question your own sanity and wonder how you've managed to survive this long as a functioning adult.
So picture this: I'm getting ready to head out, and I realize I can't find my phone. Anywhere. And let me tell you, when you can't find your phone in 2025, it's basically like losing a limb. I went into full-blown search mode.
I'm talking everywhere, people. I checked the couch cushions—you know, that black hole where phones go to die along with loose change and hair ties. I rifled through my purse like I was looking for buried treasure. I checked the bathroom counter, the kitchen island, even the refrigerator (because apparently, I've reached that age where weird things end up in weird places—don't even get me started on the time I found my reading glasses in the vegetable drawer. Still have no explanation for that one).
Fifteen minutes into this search mission, I'm starting to get a little puzzled. I'm mentally retracing my steps, wondering where I could have possibly put it. Did I leave it in the car? Did it fall between the washer and dryer? Is it hiding under a pile of laundry somewhere, plotting against me?
Finally, I walk into our closet, which is a little darker than the rest of the house. My first thought? I need some light to see better. Where's my phone so I can use the flashlight?
I literally reached down to grab my phone from my hand.
From. My. HAND.
I had been holding it the entire time. FIFTEEN MINUTES, people. Fifteen minutes of frantic searching and questioning my life choices—all while clutching the very thing I was looking for.
I stood there in the doorway and just started laughing. The kind of deep belly laugh that makes your sides hurt and your eyes water. My husband heard me from the other room and called out, "Did you find it?"
"Oh, I found it alright," I called back, still chuckling at myself.
But here's the thing—as I'm standing there feeling like the world's biggest goofball, something clicked. That little "aha" moment hit me like a spiritual lightning bolt.
Don't we do this exact same thing with God?
How many times do we find ourselves in the middle of life's chaos, frantically searching for peace? We're running around, checking all the usual places—maybe scrolling through social media for some inspiration, calling our friends for advice, reading inspirational books, looking for anything that might give us the answers we need.
We're like spiritual detectives, investigating every possible lead. "Where is God in this situation? Why can't I feel His presence? Why does it seem like He's disappeared right when I need Him most?"
We panic-search through our circumstances, rifling through our problems like I was rifling through those couch cushions.
And all the while, we're holding onto the very thing we think we've lost.
The truth is, God isn't missing. He's not hiding from us or playing some cosmic (thank you for that word, Carmen) game of hide-and-seek. He's not stuck between the washer and dryer of our circumstances or lost in the black hole of our confusion.
Look at what Jesus promised us in Matthew 28:20: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Not sometimes. Not when we're good enough or when we have our act together. Always.
Or how about this beautiful promise from Deuteronomy 31:8: "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
God doesn't abandon us when life gets dark and we can't see clearly. He doesn't pack up and leave when we're in our "searching mode." He's right there—closer than our next breath, more present than our own heartbeat.
Sometimes we just get so focused on the search that we forget to check our own hands.
His peace isn't missing—it's in His presence with me. His wisdom isn't lost—it's in His Word that's always available to me. His strength isn't gone—it's in His Spirit that lives within me. His love isn't absent—it's surrounding me like the air I breathe.
So the next time you feel like God’s gone missing, before you start your frantic spiritual search party, pause. Breathe. Check your hands. Because He’s already there. And when you realize it—when that beautiful, wonderful truth finally clicks? Go ahead and laugh. Because He’s not just with you—He’s ahead of you, clearing the way.
Like Deuteronomy 31:6 says: “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
That’s a promise you don’t ever have to go searching for.