What if God is Already There?

I keep a “to-done” list. That's not a typo. It’s a real thing, kept near my desk as a reminder of what really matters. It’s not the list of tasks I meant to get done. It's an example of the sorts of interruptions that likely happened instead.

The person who dropped by the church office just to talk for a few minutes. The book recommendation that arrived in my inbox when I didn’t have time for a new book. The task I hadn’t planned to do, but that suddenly presented itself and wouldn’t let go. The extra five minutes it took to stop and listen—or to laugh.

My to-do list is full of intention. My to-done list is full of grace. And more often than not, it’s that second list that turns out to matter more.

I used to think of spiritual practice mostly in terms of seeking. Seeking quiet. Seeking clarity. Seeking God. And don’t get me wrong, there’s something good and faithful about pursuing the holy with intention. There’s value in scripture reading, in prayer, in showing up to worship even when you don’t feel like it.

But sometimes we get so caught up in chasing God that we forget to notice God might already be here.

Already present in the interruption. Already whispering through the detour. Already moving in the thing that wasn’t on our calendar but made us pause anyway.

As I age, I'm learning that grace doesn’t always arrive with a trumpet blast and a tidy plan. Sometimes it shows up in the unscheduled phone call. The comment that lingers. The half-finished task that got interrupted by something, or someone, far more important.

Maybe the Spirit doesn’t always need us to go deeper or climb higher or try harder. Maybe the Spirit just needs us to stop long enough to see what’s already unfolding.

So here’s my spiritual practice for the season ahead: I’m still keeping my to-do list, but I’m paying more attention to my to-done list. I’m noticing the sacred in what I didn’t plan. I’m trying to trust that God isn’t waiting for me at the end of the list but is already sitting right in the middle of my day.

And maybe the question I need most right now isn’t “How do I find God?”

Maybe it’s: What if God is already there?