Sometimes God shows up and I miss it. He goes “all out” to provide lavishly for me, interact closely with me, and love tenderly on me, yet I overlook it. Yes, I’m not at all proud to admit that sometimes HHHis spectacular goodness goes completely unnoticed and flies right under my radar. But then there are those other times. Those other times when I get it. I see Him and what He is up to. I trace His hand in the sand, pause and gaze at His handiwork and I am wooed all over again by His overt gestures of love.
This past summer afforded one of those gifts of God’s love that I actually noticed. I had come across a yummy pasta recipe that called for fresh basil and tomatoes and was licking my chops at the thought of making it for myself. My Daddy’s tomato plant had yielded the perfect ripe tomatoes for my culinary delight, so my quest to gather the right ingredients started off with a bang! The fresh basil, on the other hand, proved to be more elusive. The grocery store produce department lured me in with their precious little portions of fresh herbs (nicely packaged in their own tiny plastic contraption). I spotted the price. Ridiculous! Two measly leaves for how much? At this rate, an entire plant would cost more than my weekly grocery budget!
Dejected, I made my way to the lawn and garden department on my mission for the herb in question. Nada. The fresh basil plants were completely sold out. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with a hankering for that those lush, green, fragrant little pieces of flavor. Man! Without the fresh basil, the recipe would just be glorified spaghetti! That just wouldn’t do. Somewhere deep in my subconscious, I formed a pitiful whimper of a prayer – but God, I wanted basil! (insert pouty face here).
Not even a full week later, I was over at Laura’s house. As my friend and I sat on her back patio, yacking away and baking in the summer sun, I spotted a beautiful potted plant by her back door. Was it? Could it be? This plant was way too huge and lush to be…I jumped up out of my lawn chair and upon further inspection (including the smell test) all but gave that big ‘ole basil plant a hug and kiss! When she witnessed my undiluted joy at the sight of her herb, Laura kindly offered for me to take as much of her basil as I would like. Oh man, this was the best! Sure, I was excited to get my basil, but way more than that, I was excited that God heard me and knew the desires of my heart. Even if those desires are a bit random at times, He knows me. He knows what makes me smile. God was definitely in the basil.
I’m guessing that you’ve heard of Jacob’s ladder? Yes, even Jacob of the Old Testament had a basil moment. The story is found in Genesis 28 where Jacob didn’t miss God’s overture of love to him while on a cross-country journey. Mind you, Jacob was using a stone for a pillow. That would give me weird dreams, too. But Jacob saw the living GOD in his dream (angels ascending and descending up and down the steps and the Lord at the top, which was the opening to Heaven). Uh, wow. Wow. WOW! Jacob’s encounter with God was real – and he knew it! Genesis 28:16 says, “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He could have missed God – been too sleepy to really care, been too busy preparing for the next day’s journey, or worse yet, could have written the whole thing off as an overactive imagination. But he didn’t. God showed up in Jacob’s life and he noticed. So much so, that he took that rock of a pillow and turned it into a monument of remembrance of the time and place where God communed with him. I just can’t help but wonder how many times I have been in the royal presence of the Lord, and as Jacob so aptly put it, “I was not aware of it.”
God doesn’t have to send me visions of angels on steps (though that would be super cool). The free basil was just as much a visit from the Heavenly Provider as Jacob’s ladder was! When God sends a ladder or basil moment your way, don’t feel the need to build a monument, simply take the time to notice that there is a God who is crazy about you and is constantly doing things to win your heart. Just take time to stop and smell the basil!
