What If God's Answer Is Hiding in the Ordinary?

What if God's answer to your unvoiced questions is hiding in the ordinary? Most of the time we recognize His responses during prayer or while reading Scripture, yet some of His answers are found in a sequence of everyday moments—a walk in the woods, a squirrel darting across your path, a thoughtful gift, or the encouragement of someone you least expect.

Last Sunday, I set out on a prayer walk feeling creatively blocked. I wasn't looking for remarkable experiences, but before the walk was over, God had gently woven together a series of unexpected moments that reminded me of His faithfulness in ways I could never have planned. 

Sometimes God gently repeats the same message until you recognize it!

Last week it was my turn to preach, but for the first time I didn't feel excited about it. Preparing the sermon felt more like completing an assignment than sharing something overflowing from my heart. During one of my prayer walks, however, God gently inspired me through Song of Songs 2:1 and lessons from His creation.

I shared what God had been teaching me about our identity through Song of Songs 2:1 and lessons from His creation. Yet as I preached, I still wondered whether I was faithfully following God's direction during this season of transition. One small encouragement stood out to me: a teenage girl in our church carefully took notes throughout the sermon.

The following day, still pondering my questions to God while hiking, I received a brief video of a sermon recorded by the same teenage girl from our church. She had expressed a desire to share a short sermon in our church on the day I was scheduled to preach, but the pastor suggested she do it on a different day when he was preaching. Consequently, the next day, she recorded a few samples of her short sermons, and I received one of them.

On the topic of encouragements, her brief sermon provided me with renewed inspiration. She spoke about Moses's basket and emphasized the importance of trusting in God's protective design and plan for our lives, drawing lessons from Moses's story. Just last week, I was mentoring and writing using the same basket metaphor, so her sermon resonated with me and uplifted me. 

Prior to the next church service, the same teenage girl presented me with a painting she had created for me. It was a small painting of a wildflower, and when I expressed my gratitude, she gave me a look that seemed to say, "you should be thankful," adding, "it took me time to paint this" (as if she had more important things to do than paint a picture for me). 

As I was still wrestling with the unspoken questions to God on my prayer walk, a sparrow crossed my path. It reminded me of a painting I had given the same girl years earlier. It was a painting of a sparrow holding an acorn—a simple picture reminding us that even small acts of faith can grow into something much larger.

Miniature painting I was gifted by a teenage girl from our church

When I came back home and as I held the little painting I was gifted, I suddenly realized that God is answering my questions—not through dramatic signs, but through one faithful young girl who kept encouraging me three days in a row in unexpected ways.

Sometimes God doesn't answer all at once. Sometimes He repeats the same message in different forms until our hearts finally recognize it. Looking back, I realized that God often works through people who have no idea how significant their actions are. This young girl wasn't trying to become the hero of anyone's story. She was simply inspired, shared a Bible story that was on her heart, painted a small gift, and encouraged someone who quietly needed encouragement.

If you're seeking encouragement and spiritual rejuvenation today, I invite you to take a prayer walk and be observant as you pray. During your walk, you'll find reminders of God's faithfulness and love for you. 

Perhaps a small act of encouragement you offer someone today, on your walk with God, will plant an acorn you may one day forget about, only to discover that God has grown it into something beautiful when you need encouragement yourself.

You might not be aware of it, but you could be someone else's unexpected answer to prayer this week while looking for answers yourself!

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25