Closer Than You Think

"...the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

Closer than you think
By Rev. William Dohle

It's been almost twenty years now. Twenty years since I left home. Twenty years since I lived closer than 450 miles away from my parents and siblings.

In that time I've moved to college, to seminary, and into multiple calls. I've lived in California, Colorado, Montana, and Minnesota. And now we're living in Illinois, the farthest east that I've ever lived for any extended period of time.

Distance is a funny thing too for, despite how connected we may feel with the internet and our cell phone services, we still miss feeling close to our family. There's nothing quite like meeting face to face with someone you love. No internet service can ever replace that experience.

Many people might say that God is some distance away from us. As a popular song by Bette Middler said years ago: "God is watching us from a distance."

But the Bible says, quite emphatically, NO! God isn't watching you from a distance! God is here! He's the one who formed you from the ground. He's the one who planted around you that which sustains you. He's the one who breathes into your nostrils the breath of life!

And this God, this crazy God who gets his hands dirty in the dust of this ground. This God doesn't just leave you alone. He never really returns to heaven. Instead this God breathes in you the breath of life each and every day.

Take a breath. Breathe in slowly. Let it out just as slow. That breath was given to you by God who breathes life in you . Like a divine CPR rescuer, our God is continually keeping us alive by his grace and love.

And still he does more. This God surrounds us with good green things. He provides for us animals to care for. A garden called earth to live in. And even helpers(spouses and children) who provide company for us so we are not alone.

Thank God for his continual, eternal, awesome presence among us that never leaves us, never lets go, and never lets any distance come between us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Creator God, you formed us from the ground with your hands and have been keeping us alive by your breath. May we sense and know your presence among us that we may see that nothing can separate us from your love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.