There is only one place you might struggle to find God: inside a box.
The first lesson in today's Daily Office readings is a perfect example. God told Samuel to anoint Saul king of the Israelites, so he did. He thought this meant Saul was king forever, and he was good with that. But then God told Samuel that Saul's time was up, and he would need to go anoint another. This made Samuel very, very crazy. God was leaving the box and wanted to take Samuel along!
Oh well, God can be hard to resist. So Samuel followed God's signals to the house of Jesse, who offered him seven sons to pick from, all of whom had the looks of a king: big strapping guys who could command people and armies. Jesse's last son (David) had seemed so unlikely that he wasn't even called in from the field for the try-outs. You know how the story ends: God picked the unlikely David.
Not once does God pick the candidate thought likely for a job. Moses had a speech impediment. Deborah, the most successful of the judges before the monarchy, was a woman of all things! Jeremiah, called to prophecy courageously at Jerusalem's darkest hour, was fearful. Mary was from a hick town. Paul was a persecutor of Christians.
Why? God's glory shines brighter through unlikely choices.
As you go about your routine today, whether working, shopping, zooming, or walking, look for God in unlikely places and people. Inhabiting them is God's habit.
