Friend, there is no question about it: God is real

“You will not believe this; the transmission’s out,” Dustin said.

Seriously? I thought for sure he was kidding. We had just left from picking up a friend for our son, and his mom was having the same issue. Had she rubbed off on us?

That’s what I went with.

Honestly, although transmission problems sound like a lot of dollar signs, I couldn’t help but laugh. Maybe it’s national broken down transmission day, and I missed the memo, I thought.

Headed out for a fun day at Silver Dollar City we stopped to take care of a few things, and that’s when it happened. There we were, stranded 45 minutes from home and nowhere near Silver Dollar City.

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My daughter was surfing her Instagram, like most teenagers do when they get bored for .02 seconds, am I right? As she surfed her little heart out, I leaned over to see the story she eyeballed. I didn’t have time to catch the full thing, but I did catch this question, how do I know God is real? Those words immediately grabbed my attention and caused me to think back over my day.

We just sat down for dinner inside Silver Dollar City when I saw the story on Instagram, and honestly, the fact we arrived at Silver Dollar City that day was a miracle. I could see God all over it. And, it challenged my heart to look for him in the mundane, everyday.

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After a brief conversation about what we should do, Dustin popped the hood and started investigating the situation. Until now, we experienced no issues with the transmission.

Can I pause and brag on my hubs for a second? He is amazing, and I’m so grateful he’s a fixer. If you married a fixer, let them know how grateful you are for them!

While checking things out, a kind man came out from the restaurant Dustin parked near. This stranger was a mechanic and jumped right in to help. How convenient, right? They worked together finally getting my car in gear, and it wasn’t long until they discovered the problem.

Dustin and the two 11-year-olds quickly took off walking toward the part store. We had a fun day to attend and there was no time for lollygagging. Also, apparently men travel to the parts store like us ladies travel to the potty, in groups.

My daughter and I stayed in the car, keeping watch over the situation, it’s an important job, so Dustin left us in charge; we are great supervisors. It wasn’t long though and my daughter, sounding worried, says, “uh … mom … dad and the boys just got in a truck with some guy.”

Say what!? Is he crazy? He has two children with him! What in the world is going through his mind? I thought.

Turns out, it was a friend from church. He happened to be driving by, and gave Dustin a lift. Dustin called to let me know he was borrowing Matt’s truck and headed to the parts store. Long story short, it turns out the problem was a recall and the dealership was willing to fix it for free and could have us on the road in less than 20 minutes.

As I thought about the Instagram story, I thought back over my day and frankly, over my life. I know God is real because I can see him everywhere. I saw him that day in the kindness of a stranger and in the love of a friend. I saw how he guided Dustin to the dealership rather than the parts store (against my better judgment, being the budget lady and all).

I’ve seen him in the delivery room when my babies took their first breath, and I’ve seen him when my loved ones have taken their last.

I see him in every sunrise and every sunset.

He’s in the kindness of a stranger, the laughter of a child. He’s the rain on a dry day, the shade on a hot day and sunshine on a cool day. He’s in the colors of fall. He’s in every snowflake and every drop in the ocean.

I see him in the garden. I see him in the storms. He is everywhere I look.

I feel his presence in every situation.

Friend, there is no question, God IS real. If you aren’t sure, look around you. He is EVERYWHERE.

Look for him. He is HERE; he IS real.

You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:13

Cassie Downs, formerly of the Ellsinore area, is a speaker and the author of Chasing Jesus. Connect with her online at cassiedowns.com. Her book is available online where most books are sold.