Did We Find Jesus, or Did He Find Us?
- Trace Pirtle
- Jun 20, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 3, 2025
One of theology's most fascinating questions centers on divine initiative versus human seeking: Do we find Jesus through our earnest searching, or does He find us exactly when we need Him most? Yesterday's adventures with my wife provided a delightfully unexpected answer to this age-old question.
In an earlier post, I wrote about Murphy's Law versus the Fruit of the Spirit—how focusing on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control can break us free from negative self-fulfilling prophecies and expectancy bias. Yet yesterday, I was absolutely certain the universe was conspiring against me, and my reflection of Christ's light was dimming by the minute.
When Murphy's Law Takes the Wheel
The day began with two ministry stops before taking my wife to a medical consultation in San Antonio, about an hour from our home. Neither ministry visit brought out the best reflection of Jesus in me—already, I could feel my spiritual armor getting dented.
Then we hit the road, only to encounter freeway construction that slowed traffic to a crawl. The car clock seemed possessed, racing forward to announce our impending lateness, while my actual experience in that traffic jam felt like some hallucinogenic bad trip straight out of Salvador Dalí's "The Persistence of Memory"—you know, where time melts down the side of a cliff like warm cheese.
When we finally reached the medical building, the parking garage could have been designed by Dante himself as a special level of the Inferno. By the time we checked in, my usual bright Light of Christ probably looked more like the frazzled reflection of a Steve Martin comedy routine gone terribly wrong.
The First Divine Interruption
After what felt like an eternity—and I was convinced hell had frozen over—we were finally taken to a room for the consultation. As we waited, catching our breath and trying to salvage what remained of my Christian witness, my wife suddenly exclaimed, "Look at that!"
There on the windowsill sat a tiny, smiling Jesus figurine with a sash across His chest that simply read: "Jesus Loves You."
We both burst into laughter. My attitude changed in an instant. It was as if someone had flipped a switch—the clouds outside literally cleared, revealing a beautiful blue sky, and the consultation went wonderfully, reinforcing that "all is well!" Thank you, Jesus!
The Milkshake Quest Continues
Here's where things got "wild and crazy" in true Steve Martin fashion. I decided to celebrate with a milkshake. The first place had run out of vanilla ice cream. The second place never waited on us at the drive-through—we sat there nearly ten minutes before driving away in defeat.
But I was determined. We drove all the way back to Kerrville, exhausted but resolute in “our” milkshake mission. We walked inside, approached the counter, and guess who was waiting there to greet us?
Another tiny Jesus figurine, smiling and reminding us once again that He loves us.
That shake never tasted so good.
Do We Find Jesus, or Does He Find Us?
So what do you think? Do we find Jesus, or does He find us?
Yesterday's experience suggests that while we might think we're on a quest to find Jesus—searching through Scripture, seeking Him in prayer, looking for His presence in our daily struggles—He's actually been there all along, strategically placing Himself exactly where we need Him most. Those tiny figurines weren't accidents or coincidences; they were divine appointments. God bless those Light-bearing ambassadors of Christ who left them!
When our morning falls apart and traffic makes us feel like we're living in a surreal painting, Jesus is waiting on the windowsill. When our simple celebration plans go awry and we're ready to give up on something as small as a milkshake, there He is again at the counter, reminding us of His love.
Perhaps the real answer is both: We find Jesus because He first positioned Himself to be found. Our seeking matters, but His presence is the constant. We may think we're the ones doing the searching, but He's orchestrating the discoveries.
The next time Murphy's Law seems to be winning and your reflection of Christ feels more comedy than testimony, look around. I'll bet you find an image of Jesus--in some unexpected form--smiling back at you. With Jesus, you are never lost; He will always find you when you need Him most. Can you think of a time when you thought you were searching for Jesus, only to realize He had already found you? Share your story with us!
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