Psalm 66:3 says, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!’”

When was the last time you told God how awesome He is and how awesome His works are in your life?

There are moments when we feel close to the Father, and there are moments when we feel far from His presence. This past weekend was one of those moments when I felt His presence in all that surrounded me as I traveled to Canada to celebrate the life of my amazing Grandma Ho Ho! Grandma passed away last year in July, on her 70th wedding anniversary with my Grandpa. This trip was filled with God at work in ways I would have never expected!

I sat on my first flight, digging into the Word for my morning study bright and early at 6 a.m. as the plane lifted off into the heights of the heavens. I found myself in Psalm 65. As I studied, three verses stood out to me in mighty ways: verses 1, 4, and 8.

For Psalm 65: 8 says, “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”

As I arrived in Winnipeg, I could begin to see Psalm 65 play out before my eyes! My cousin Steve picked me up from the airport, and we headed to a favorite local diner, “Red Top.” We ordered our food and sat talking for hours about faith and what it means to live a faithful life in Christ—a conversation I was not expecting at all. I even told Steve, “You kind of caught me off guard.”

But why was I not expecting that? As Psalm 65:8 says, “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders,” that includes Winnipeg, Broken Arrow, Rio Bravo, Shanghai, Tokyo, and the rest of the earth. The Psalm continues, “Where morning dawns and evening fades… you call forth songs of joy.” In other words, the same God with whom I encounter awe and wonders in Broken Arrow has been revealing the same things to my cousin up north. So why wouldn’t He want to speak about it?

Though we hadn’t seen each other in three years, it was almost as though we picked up right where we left off on our last visit. Steve amazed me with the genuineness of his heart for God and how eager he was to know more of God and His character. I was inspired, challenged, and encouraged by Steve and our conversation. It was such a blessing to wrestle through theological truths together in this diner, as our waitress took many glances at our table, perhaps intrigued by our discussion. I quickly recognized that God does not take vacations.

Following this conversation, we went to my aunt and uncle’s house to spend time with their family. That evening, my brother, mom, and I sorted through my Grandma’s belongings from her apartment so we could bring some items home from Canada. As I opened boxes, I found my Grandma’s Bible, which Jetonne and I had given her on her 90th birthday. I immediately started to look inside at the front page where Jetonne and I had written her, and as I read the words from over four years ago, I reflected on my Grandma’s faith and the legacy she left for her children and grandchildren.

I continued flipping through her Bible, noticing she had written. Suddenly, I was stopped by a piece of paper that interrupted my browsing. The paper marked a Psalm in Grandma’s Bible… Psalm 65! No way! Could it be that the page marked in my Grandma’s Bible that I read that morning? As I reread the Psalm from Grandma’s Bible, tears welled up in my eyes as I discovered Grandma’s message to me from God’s Word in Psalms 65:4.

“Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.”

Joy filled my eyes as God’s Word brought a message from Grandma…

“Blessed are those you choose to bring near to live in your courts”.

“We are filled with good things of Your House… Your Holy Temple”

Are you kidding?! How AWESOME are God’s deeds! Grandma loves her life in eternity with her Savior! Those few words from the Psalmist brought peace and Joy to my heart, knowing that my Grandma was made whole and is loving life in the presence of her Creator.

That would be enough, right?! Enough of God showing His AWESOMENESS… but He didn’t stop there! No, He continued to show off. On Sunday, my family went to the church where I was baptized as a baby. As I walked in, I spotted an old teapot in a glass case that supposedly had been used by John Wesley… the founder of the Methodist movement.

Jesus just continuing to affirm my faith Call as a UMC Pastor. (Ask me about this one day).

As I entered the sanctuary, we began to sing. The opening hymn was “Here I Am Lord.” This song brought tears to my eyes as I thought about the call that Jesus had placed on my life, reflecting on my faith journey. As the service finished, my mom leaned over and said, “Graeme, the woman Pastor up on stage is the one who baptized you ase the odds that the Pastor who baptized me was still leading worship in the same church over 33 years later? a baby.” What?! No way! Really, Jesus?!

Following this conversation, we approached the Pastor and told her, and I was greeted with hugs and asked what I was doing now. My mom was so excited to share that I was now in ministry and serving as an Associate Pastor. The Pastor spoke words of encouragement and blessings to the ministry, which God was doing and would do through me.

For I could sense the Spirit thick in this Sanctuary, as God ministered to me, saying, I have been a part of your CALL since day one! I have been at work in your life and around you since your earliest years of baptism.

This trip was not just a vacation, it was a Spiritual recharge to my faith. Through conversations with family, joy for my Grandma’s dwelling with the Father, and affirmation of my CALL as a UMC Pastor. I witnessed the presence of God all around me!

I close with this verse:

“Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.” Psalm 66:3

God is all around… take time to reflect on the work of His hands… and don’t forget… to tell Him that He is AWESOME!