How I Learned to Connect With God
Written by Madeleine Grace Scholefield, Australia
I’m an imposter.
It was the thought that flew into my mind as the van bumped its way over the cattle grates and through another paddock.
I was 15, and part of a small group of teens invited away on a prayer retreat. The weekend was largely unstructured, and we were left hours to head out on the sprawling farm property to be alone and hear from God.
I was an imposter, because I wasn’t sure how to connect with God. I’d been feeling distant from Him for months, and the idea of having all that time to use up while wondering if everyone else was better at connecting with Him was intimidating.
Over the weekend, I watched as people found quiet spots to sit with their Bibles, and others played guitar and sat in worship for hours. I, on the other hand, couldn’t keep still.
I was restless; searching for a hint of God, scared of what He might say to me if I ever caught up with Him. So I walked aimlessly around the property, trying to slow my thoughts and stop my mind from wandering, which proved nearly impossible.
The birds were so loud, you see. In a beautiful way. I couldn’t help but look up at the big grand gum trees and admire the sound of kookaburras overhead. And then there was the smell — like grass that’s wet after rain, that made me want to fill my lungs and hold it in.
My eyes kept catching on the sweeping paddocks stretching out beyond the mist, rolling up into the mountains on the horizon. I took my jumper off so I could feel the early morning chill on my arms, and when I saw sour-grass growing in tufts by a fence, I snapped some off and started chewing, the nostalgia of my childhood hitting as I scrunched up my face.
I was engrossed in everything around me; my senses were alive. And when I stopped berating myself for letting all these things ‘distract’ me from God, I started seeing Him in everything around me.
The birdsong reminded me of Jesus telling us we don’t need to be anxious; “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” he said in Matthew 6:26.
Help me not to be anxious, I prayed, joining the chorus of birds.
The smell of grass made me think of Psalm 23, where David sings of how God “makes me lie down in still pastures” and “refreshes my soul”. I thought of God's rest that He invites us into, and how I so often reject that offering.
Thank you for the peace you bring me, I whispered.
As I gazed at the mountains in the distance, I thought of how expansive and powerful God is, and yet, with faith as small as a mustard seed, I can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Then I started thinking about other mountains in the Bible — like Mount Sinai, where Moses received the 10 Commandments (Exodus 19 & 20).
Thank you that Your ways are best, I prayed.
When the breeze picked up and tickled strands of hair against my face, I remembered Elijah being told to wait for the presence of the Lord to pass Him by — but God wasn’t in the wind, or the earthquake, or even the fire. In fact, the Lord came to Him in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13).
I know You’re here with me now, I said to Him.
The sour-grass made me wince and smile as I chewed, thinking back to when I was a little girl munching on it in my backyard.
You’ve loved me since before I was born, I whispered. All this time, you’ve never left. Thank you for your faithfulness, God.
By the time the call came out somewhere across the field for lunch, I was surprised by the time that had passed. When I’d finally stopped fighting the ‘distractions’ and seeing my senses as a barrier to time with God, I’d found it easy to connect with Him. In fact, I felt a new sense of His presence in a way I hadn’t experienced before, and I couldn’t wait to keep hearing more from Him through the world He made.
For years, I’d thought that connecting with God was a formula; that it was simple, straightforward, and the same for everyone — read your Bible, close your eyes, fold your hands and start a prayer with “Dear God...” But on that prayer retreat, and in the many years since, I learned that our relationship with God isn’t a cookie-cutter experience, or an easy 1-2-3 that we can follow; it’s a deeply personal and dynamic relationship that looks a little different for everyone.
If we’re all made so differently from one another, does it not make sense that we would talk to and hear from God in different ways, too?
At their core, relationships—and friendships—are built on an exchange of listening and speaking. They can’t be one-sided. And if you’re anything like me, the speaking part comes easily — there’s so much I can say to God! It’s the listening that I struggle with, and that takes work and practice.
The best way we have to hear God’s words are through His Word, the Bible; a true and unchanging record of the things He has said and done that we have the gift of having access to. So while I felt the most connected to God while out in those paddocks—and still, to this day, whenever I’m outside in His creation—it’s important to note that we can’t do away with the Bible. If we’re only ever seeking God’s voice in the things around us, we will miss what He’s already saying to us in Scripture.
But like with any friendship, we need balance. If I only ever read messages from my friends, it would be hard to build a deeper connection with them. I also need shared experiences, new memories, things to delight in together.
What do you already delight in doing that you could consciously do with God by acknowledging that He’s already there with you?
Earlier this week, I had an hour spare before work, and I wanted to spend it with God. But I didn’t have the capacity to read the Bible for that whole hour, so instead I read a psalm, put on some worship music, and sat and painted. The time spent with Him was no less valuable than if I’d been pouring over theological commentaries with a pack of highlighters in hand, but it was what I needed with God that morning, and He met me there.
What about you? Will you try it with me this week — a new way to connect with God through the world around you?
Friends, if you’re interested in finding different ways you can connect with God and experience His presence, you might like to check out the following pieces on our blog...
Filling Our Bellies With the Bible: A Guide to Biblical Meditation
What is Mindfulness and How Can It Help Us?