"God showed up" has become a popular phrase in recent years. Although the true meaning refers to God being extraordinarily present in a particular circumstance; it seems on the surface to sound as if God is somewhere else and then appears, or "shows up". The Bible says that God is always with us- ...."because God has said, never will I leave you; never will I forsake you". Hebrews 13:5b. So if we believe the Bible, then we can be assured that wherever we are, God IS always with us.
Hopefully, most people have seen "God show up" at some point in their lives. Those with chronically ill loved ones or are chronically ill themselves, have possibly experienced God's hand in their lives many times.
This past week, I witnessed this with my chronically ill husband. Paul has a manmade graft in his arm that is used for his kidney dialysis. A weak spot had appeared in the graft, and one evening it began to leak blood. That leak quickly progressed into what seemed like floodgates being opened and the bleeding could no longer be controlled. By the time we arrived at the Emergency Room, he was unconscious, in shock and barely breathing. I was taken into a private room with a pastor and told by a nurse that they weren't sure he'd survive. That's when God truly made Himself known. The pastor prayed with me and within minutes I was told that Paul was alert enough to nod his head in response to questions. To me, it was all God. Not only did I see God work through the ER staff, but through the care and concern of strangers in the waiting room, and in the comfort and help of the pastor and support staff. God had His hand in the entire experience.
We have been blessed to experience other times that God has shown His power and we've been able to give Him the praise.
However, sometimes situations don't have a happy ending. I've been in some of those as I know so many others have, too. Is God not there in those times? Of course, He's there! We just need to look more closely for Him.. He is there to comfort, provide strength, and help heal our hurting hearts. He is there putting the pieces back together in ways better than we could ever imagine. Philippians 4:19 says "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Jesus Christ".
If you're not seeing God's handiwork in your life, just keep looking. He doesn't just "show up". He's always right there with you!