How do I get God’s attention? Sometimes it seems like I’m in a busy, but understaffed store, desperately needing help, and the only one available is occupied with someone else. If God is really God, He sees and knows everything of course. But often in the gospels, Jesus would key in on one person out of a large group. I’ve always wanted to be that person and at times I need to be that person. Short Zacchaeus was quietly watching Jesus from his perch in the tree when Jesus called out to him. Blind Bartimaeus was shouting for mercy and wouldn’t be quiet until Jesus came to him. The bleeding woman intentionally touched Him and was noticed while the remainder of the crushing crowd remained in the background.

What have you tried? If you’re honest and a believer, you’ll have to admit that you’ve wanted, at least for a moment, to be that one who had God’s full attention. I’ve tried being zealous—going to the end of my strength to work, serve, obey, worship, fast, evangelize, and pray. All those things are godly and good when done in the spirit, but are not helpful when done religiously to try to force the Lord to notice how worthy I am of His attention.

I was reading in the book of Exodus the other day. This is one of the sections I re-read often because it seems that something important is escaping my attention. I noticed a phrase that I had read over many times without taking it in. Moses was minding his own business, caring for his father-in-law’s flocks. Then he saw the burning bush, and said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight…” Now a curious phrase: “When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him…” This seems strangely human to me. It’s arrogant to assume God is like me, but wise to remember that we are made in the image of God. There are still fingerprints of God on all of us in spite of all we do to eradicate them. God doing something really special for Moses and then waiting for his response reminds me of when I try to do something nice for my wife, or she for me. There is that moment of anticipation—will she notice? Will she smile as she stops her work? Will she take a moment and enjoy what I’ve done especially for her? And after she “turns aside,” or I do, the bonds of love grow stronger as we each give and receive.

I wonder. Is getting God’s attention as simple as letting Him get my attention? Moses was busy with duties and stopped to look. Zacchaeus was too short to see over those in the front of the line, but climbed a tree to watch. Bartimaeus was blind, but when he heard Jesus was passing by, he “saw” grace coming towards him. The woman had looked to doctors to help her without avail, but perceived a walking miracle and stopped to wait in the crowd. Were Moses, Zacchaeus, Bartimaeus, and the woman different only because they stopped what they were doing—turned aside from focusing on duties, doubts, disabilities, or disease—to respond to God and to take a moment to pay attention? Perhaps I’ve had God’s attention all along, but He hasn’t had mine.