Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you have not known.
Jeremiah 33:3 

There is a lot I don’t know.
And most of the time, I’m ok with that.
But there are times when I just do NOT understand and it is NOT ok.
This is when I go to google.
(You thought I was going to say God didn’t you?)

I’m an information gatherer.
It’s what I do.
When someone tells me they have stage 3 triple negative breast cancer – I go to google.
I learn.
When someone says they are nearing bankruptcy, I figure out what programs are available to help.
Information-gathering is my way of coping with the crap life throws at me.
We all have our coping mechanisms.
Denial.
Anger.
Exercise.
Food.
Hibernation.
Some combination of all of these, or all of them at the same time.
I often trust the internet more than I trust God to answer me.
It’s why I have a reminder ON MY WALL that says “trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5)
I try, but I tend to find a lot of other things first before just asking God.
Google is my default.
And while I wish that weren’t the truth, it definitely is.
I want a burning bush.
When I ask a question, I want a clear answer.
The problem is that we don’t get a lot of obvious, burning-bush moments these days.
And whether or not we admit it, that’s what we’re hoping for.
Charlton Heston’s conversation with God has ruined many a hopeful pray-er when they don’t receive the same response. (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Watch it here!)
So if we don’t get a loud low voice from a nondescript location, does that mean God hasn’t answered?

No.

In fact, scripture is just filled with reminders that God does indeed hear our prayers, and that God doesn’t just hear them but answers them.
This verse from Jeremiah is especially helpful to me because the Israelites were in the midst of exile.  
They were struggling.
Things were not going well and they were asking God to give them answers.
And God comes to Jeremiah, while he’s imprisoned, and says that things are going to be restored.
Yes, they aren’t awesome right now, but there is good stuff coming your way.
And, God says, call to me, and I WILL answer.
And I will tell you about all the things you don’t know – which is basically everything.
Prayer can be frustrating, when we’re looking for the burning bush.
But while we wait, God is answering in all the world around us.
God’s answers are in the great and unsearchable things.

So here’s what I’m trying (because I still default to google):
I’m going outside.
I’m spending time with the people I love and who love me.
I may not get a burning bush,
but even in the cold of a MN winter,
God is giving me answers in the birds,
in the sunrise,
in the breath I see in front of me,
in the people that are in my life,
And even in the moments where I struggle and I’m not sure what’s next.
When I look back, I can clearly see God’s action, even in the moments where I was sure God wasn’t there.
That’s because God has promised to be there when we call –
always answering, always working, always renewing and restoring.
and that’s all the information I need.