Recognize

Recognize Him. Recognize His hand, His work, His presence, His plan, His love. He is always there, always moving, always working, whether we see it or not. But every once in a while, He pulls back the veil just enough for us to notice. Not to overwhelm us, but to invite us. To wake us up. To remind us that He is near.

I was invited into one of those moments. Or maybe more accurately, I was asked to witness one.

A friend of mine, someone I’ve spent countless hours with, on the golf course, in conversation, in laughter, asked me to go to Mass. Out of nowhere. Completely unexpected. This is someone I know well. Warm-hearted, fun-loving, the kind of person who never runs out of energy or laughter. The life of the party. But faith? I had never seen it. Not once. Not in a way that was visible, not in a way that was spoken.

And then, without warning, he asked.

It stopped me. Not because it was dramatic, but because it wasn’t. It was simple. Quiet. Almost casual. But underneath it, something deeper was moving. Something I couldn’t explain, but something I could recognize.

God.

Not in a loud, obvious way. Not with flashing signs or perfect clarity. But in the subtle way He so often works. In the nudge. In the timing. In the unexpected question that doesn’t quite fit the pattern of everything that came before it.

I don’t know if this is a one-time moment for him or the beginning of something much bigger. That’s not mine to control or define. But I do know this: the Lord is working. He is present. He is moving in hearts we cannot see and in ways we do not understand.

And if we’re paying attention, if we’re open, we get to witness it.

That’s the call. Not to force it. Not to manufacture it. Not to overanalyze it. Just to recognize it.

Recognize that the people around you are not static. Recognize that God is pursuing them, even when it’s invisible. Recognize that moments you would normally brush off may actually be invitations, to show up, to walk with someone, to quietly be part of His plan.

Too often, we look for certainty before we act. We want clarity before we move. But God doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes He simply gives us a moment and asks us to trust that He’s in it.

This was one of those moments.

And maybe the bigger realization is this: if He’s working in him, He’s working everywhere. In everyone. All the time.

We just have to recognize it.