Ever feel like you are moving just fast enough that God's goodness, His kindness, and His presence slip right past? We sense Him in the periphery but can't seem to slow down long enough to fully take Him in. We hurry past without noticing that God is near.

Part of our hurry might be our efforts to avoid all of the potential landmines so prevalent in the world. It takes vigilance to sidestep divisiveness, leaving our nervous systems locked in and loaded. We might notice our senses roaming back and forth, watching for danger.

It is tremendously difficult to enter His rest when our souls are on guard for the next threat. And if we cannot enter His rest, how are we able to experience thankfulness?

Sometimes my soul needs a hefty dose of the end goal. I sometimes need a reminder of the end of the story through an extended time in scripture and worship. Settle in with Cody Carnes and Brandon Lake's song, Too Good To Not Believe.

I've lived stories that have proved Your faithfulness
I've seen miracles my mind can't comprehend
And there is beauty in what I can't understand
Jesus, it's You, Jesus, it's You

Sitting down to watch a show, my TV displayed this message - "cannot load content." My attempts to troubleshoot this message went through "ask Google," then "ask the kids," and finally, after an hour of checking the internet, unplugging devices, trying to reload content...I clicked the one word I was a bit hesitant to press -- RESET.

Why so downcast oh my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Psalm 43:5

The reset button clears the memory and reboots the machine forcibly, says Wikipedia. The English Language Learners Definition of reset is:

: to move (something) back to an original place or position
: to put (a broken bone) back in the correct position for healing
: to put (a gem) into a new piece of jewelry

I love how sitting with words can shift perspectives making something implicit, explicit. Illuminating the truths buried between letters.

Why do I feel so afraid, like some danger is just lurking around every corner? I imagined God's response would be gentle and comforting, like an invitation to sit awhile and rest. And there in the stillness, I sense this question - Are you staying close to His love for you?

There is no fear in God's love. His love for us is never far off, but we miss it when we hurry past.

The display of His love is evident in beauty all around me. The vibrant changing colors of fall. The smiles of delight on my granddaughter's face. The quiet whisper of peace and the welcome of rest in the morning moments with Him. And in this space, my heart wells up with thankfulness.

My soul longs for a reset where I am placed back in a correct position to promote healing. I am even open to some memory wiping if I was honest.

You're the wonder-working God
And You heal because You love

Today, I was relieved that social media crashed, and it felt like a threat was neutralized - at least for the moment. I couldn't help but smile - this is evidence of His love for me.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Forgetting the things of the past, or at the very least, putting them down. And picking back up the things I know and believe. He is good. His mercies are new every morning. He is near. He is not surprised, caught off guard, or unprepared.

Tracey Dahl, M.A. is a writer and Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in Langley, BC (Canada). She is married to Ryan Dahl (Founder of PraiseCharts) and the mother of four grown children. Too Good To Not Believe was written by Brandon Lake, Cody Carnes, Chris Davenport, & Joshua Silverberg and featured on the Homecoming Album by Bethel Music.