March 20 – God Comes Disguised as Reality
Everything that happens to us, however bitter it may be, is ordained for our salvation. Abba Dorotheos
Gregg’s Reflection
I’ve come to believe one of Richard Rohr’s most important insights: God comes to us disguised as reality. That means the circumstances of my day — both the ones I welcome and the ones I resist — are not distractions from my spiritual life, they are my spiritual life. The people, interruptions, disappointments, and blessings I encounter are all part of the classroom where God teaches me.
This is not always easy to accept. My first instinct when things go wrong is to push back, to wish reality were different. I’ve spent too much energy trying to outmaneuver it, as if the real spiritual work could only happen once everything was calm, predictable, and pleasant. But the truth is, God is as present in the hard phone call, the missed connection, or the sudden change of plans as God is in the quiet of my prayer corner.
Equanimity grows when I stop fighting reality and begin asking, “Where is God in this?” That question transforms frustration into curiosity, fear into openness, and resistance into trust. Reality becomes not an enemy to be conquered but a doorway into God’s presence.
Scripture
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
Ancient Quotes
Everything that happens to us, however bitter it may be, is ordained for our salvation. For what appears to be a punishment is often medicine, and what seems a loss may prove our gain.
Abba Dorotheos of Gaza, Discourses and Sayings, VI. On the Fear of God.
Do not seek God in some far place; He is no farther from you than the door of your heart. The circumstances of your life are the very path by which He comes.
St. Augustine of Hippo, Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Tractate 8.12
Modern Quotes
The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.
Wendell Berry, Our Real Work
God comes to us disguised as our life.
Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs, p. 14
Journaling Prompts
- Where in your life right now are you resisting reality?
- How might you see that situation differently if you believed God was present in it?
- What small step could you take today to embrace reality instead of avoiding or controlling it?
- When have you experienced God most clearly in an unexpected or unwelcome situation?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 12 Reflection: Equanimity