On a recent adventure I had whilst away in north Wales praying, I was walking along the coast and saw a family trying to take a selfie.

“Do you want me to take it for you?” I asked. So I took the photo.

As I was leaving I said “God bless you guys”, which I don’t typically say to people I don’t know, and the dad asked why I said that.

“I’m not sure”, I said, “I usually only say that to Christians I know”.

“We were Christian’s until recently”, they replied.

“I’m sorry to hear that”, I said.

They said they had been through some terrible things recently. I didn’t ask what had happened to them because I didn’t need to know.

They went on to say they felt let down by church and abandoned by God. I could tell they were broken and hurting, so I asked if I could share something with them. The dad reluctantly said yes, and the Holy Spirit began to lay some things on my heart.

I felt the Him say, “I shook you and woke you from your sleep and told you I’m carrying you.”

The teen girl quickly said, “that happened to me.” And she asked how I knew about it.

“Secondly, when you we’re walking your dog in that field surrounded on 4 sides by trees, you felt my overwhelming presence with you and on you just like a woolen shawl.”

The mum looked at the dad…
Dad said “that happened to my wife.”

“Thirdly, when I told you I was ever present with you and you knew my peace,
you felt guilty because you couldn’t protect your family. But when you were together you didn’t want to hurt each other by saying you had experienced the comfort of God. So you only shared how each of you were hurting.”

“God said he would never leave you or abandon you, and when these awful things started happening you had just read Psalms 139:7-12.

‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.‘”

“How can you know these things?” the dad asked.

I said to them, “God is wanting you to understand he was always present with you.”

Dad asked “what shall we do? We got it wrong. God was there all the time.”

I suggested they should pray.
And thank God for being ever present with them.
And it may be even appropriate to repent.

I suggested they go and share their journey with a few trustworthy friends from church who could be there for them and encourage them.

“This changes everything”, they said, “thank you!”

I said it’s God they need to thank, and went on my way.

When we walk with God, it may not make things easy but it makes them possible. Walking with Him gives us assurance of his presence and power in our lives.