I flew out to San Diego last weekend, and prior to that, I’ve only flown a handful of times, so I was a little nervous about flying once more, but excited nonetheless. For context, the first time I flew, TSA threw my bottles out because they were too big for a carry-on, and I didn’t get a chance to check the bag because I was late; and once I passed check-in, I missed my flight. Needless to say, my first flight ever was a disaster, and as a result, I always have a little trepidation before every trip. Last weekend, though, before I even left, I hit a bump in the road I’d call it; or rather, I encountered something that had the potential to be a problem, but did not actually end up affecting me, thank God. Anyway, back to my weekend. To say I had better fortune this time around would be an understatement. My original flight was set to leave at 6:30 and a few hours ahead of my flight, I learned my first flight out would be delayed because of a storm on its way to New York. This would’ve made my connecting flight impossible to get to. I checked online and my online options were to leave much later in the day than I’d anticipated and get to San Diego in the evening when I’d already planned to get there in the afternoon. Before I even let myself panic, I called the airline myself. Lo and behold, the lady I spoke to was able to get me on a different flight that left the exact same time as my original flight; I would just have a different layover. All I could think was thank God! A crisis was averted!

In my excitement, I texted a friend of mine because I was so relieved and felt so amazing that God came through once again! But my friend asked me what that had to do with God, and he said that people are always bringing God into things that He has nothing to do with. Now, my friend was simply not right in that moment and despite his best efforts, I refused to see things his way – not in this. Before I even address the myriad of ways in which my friend was wrong, I’ll tell you a quick story. I may have mentioned this in a prior editorial. but I’ll tell it again. My father has the kind of faith and relationship with God that I strive to have, and in addition to that, his mind and thought process is just astounding. By that I mean, I am amazed by the way he thinks and perceives situations, and as long as I can remember, I have just asked him questions and wanted to soak up as much of his wisdom as possible. But I noticed something, something my mom was actually able to shed light on. She told me that very early on in their marriage, she noticed that regardless of what anyone asked my dad, he could bring it back to God. You could ask him about sports, a movie, an outfit and the conversation would always, without fail, be brought back to God. And she asked him why it always came back to that for him? He told her, and later told me too, that he is able to bring everything back to God because God is in all things as He created the universe and everything within it.

With that being said, I’ve grown to know God in such a way that I can recognize His hand at work, because it might seem small, but if I would’ve gotten to San Diego in the evening, it would’ve set back very important plans. And yet, that was never a possibility because God was in the midst. We truly limit God and his authority when we navigate certain aspects or any aspects of our life without Him. Matthew 6:33 tells us to, “Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We have to get it out of our heads that God is only privy to certain information or that we only include Him in this aspect of our lives but we have it handled in this other department or that He’s simply not interested in being apart of everything we do and I do mean everything. We are to seek Him in ALL things because He wants to be a part of all portions of our lives. If we seek God in all portions of our lives and believe in His power, He will show up.

For these purposes, let me tell you how the rest of my trip went on my new flight, the flight that my friend didn’t believe God had anything to do with. When I went to check in for my flight, I was able to check my bag for free and when I arrived at my gate, my name was called over the loudspeaker as if I was summoned by the principal. Except I wasn’t in trouble. I was called up front to have my seat upgraded and when I found my seat on the plane, it was in a row I had entirely to myself. As soon as I sat down, all I could say was, “Thank you, God.” God blesses us daily, not only in what we perceive as “big” but in all things, as He is in all things. When you wake up, that is by the grace of God. When you get home safely at the end of the day, that is by the grace of God. When everything about your day seems to align perfectly and paths become clear, that is by the grace of God. We must attune our hearts to recognize when God is doing a work in and for us. It seems so simple, the flight change, but it was a blessing, and it might not be “a big deal” but anything God is able to do for me is a big deal; and any blessing He is willing to give to me and any grace He is willing to extend, I am grateful to receive. God is in everything and I pray we are all able to open our eyes to see that He promised to never leave or forsake us. Even when we don’t even realize it or even when we take it for granted, there He is in the midst.