“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7-10 (ESV))

God gave me these verses at the beginning of this week, further evidence of how perfect His timing is. I inhabited them throughout the week. With Giles being away for work, I felt a little unsettled in my environment. Further, my physical body failed me this week, and I continuously fought discouragement over that. Then my week was interrupted by someone trespassing on our property. Yet God kept gently reminding me that His Spirit is always present with me, that His right hand is holding me. This promise was such a comfort as I closed my eyes in sleep every night this week. I could envision my Father holding me in His arms, gently whispering words of peace to my heart.

Amazing how often I struggle in my own fragile spirit with this simple promise. I think about how revelatory it was to walk the slum and realize that God dwelt there, that His Spirit strongly echoed in the songs of life there. That He hadn’t abandoned its inhabitants, even though the outward appearance of their dwelling-place was not what we would call a home. Why should this be such a revelation to me, given His above-referenced promise? Even in a place that seems to be a modern-day manifestation of a biblical “Gehenna,” the city’s garbage dump, God is actively at work, transforming individual lives, redeeming and restoring them. Reclaiming for His kingdom those literally tossed out by society. (We only had to take one turn off a major road within the bustling city of Nairobi to find ourselves in the midst of the slums.)

Given this reality and His promises, it shouldn’t be surprising to me that God is ever-present in my life. That He cares about every detail of it. That despite my doubting heart, I can never be far away from Him because He is everywhere, in the midst of everything. Animating my life with His own. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He has chosen to pitch His tent among us, whether we live in wealthy suburbia or a shanty town. And neither He nor I would want it any other way.