Yes the title of this blog post is the same title of Taylor Swift’s  song but this blog is not about Taylor Swift. Don’t get me wrong that song is probably one of my favorites, but this blog is about finding God in the places you expected him to already be present.

These past few weeks I have been working in Mexico with a ministry called Roca Fuerte. Roca Fuerte is a church plant on the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico. This church plant is also has two other plants in nearby towns (Los Agaves and Las Azucenas) where they are trying to share the love of Christ in these broken neighborhoods where hope is no where to be found. Recently, they have begun activities in a town next to Azucena called Las Lilas.

In Lilas, there is no Catholic church or Christian Churches. The people there have no idea what to believe in. Some of them are catholic and some claim to believe in something bigger than themselves, but do not really understand what this higher thing is.

While working in Los Agaves, one night I assisted the church leaders in children’s service by playing games with them and singing songs. After all the fun, we read a Bible story about the birth of Jesus. After the story was over, the children were asked questions about the story, and many responded with answers that I would have never thought of, when it came to the birth of Christ.

One day we were also playing games with children, outside of the church in Las Azucenas. More children would stop by from a distance , stare, some would smile and watch. A few would join, and some just walked past quickly.

I share these moments, because I found God to present in them!

Let me clarify, I expected God to be present, but at times you are so in the moment of what you’re doing, that you forget God is present.

In Lilas, I was so focused on, “What are the right ways to share the gospel in Spanish,” or “Am I saying this right.” that at times I forgot God was there.

In was in the moment, we talked to a girl named Lucy, that I knew God was there. God made himself present and that was the moment I knew.

(I promise to share more about Lucy much later, )

In Los Agaves, when I heard the story of Jesus’ birth and saw the wonder and awe of the children’s faces that was the moment I knew that God was there. He made himself present so that the children could know him. Know his love. Know that they were loved.

In Azucenas, children on the streets saw the joy and laughter of the other children playing games and heard the name Jesus. They wanted to see and learn more. That was the moment I knew God was working ! That was the moment tears came to my eyes, because if only they knew that God wanted them to be present with him.

If only they knew…

That was the moment I knew…God was present.

God is present! God is always working! Never forget it!