I Didn't Meet God in a Church

I didn't meet God in a church.
Oh, I went to church growing up,
but I never saw God there...
only questions.

Questions like:
If God exists, then why does he let bad things happen all the time?
If God exists, why can't he save children from their abusers?
And when I learned of my own trauma...
if God exists, then why did he let me suffer?
Why did he let me forget I was loved?
Why did he let me forget my innocence?
Why did he let my father take my inner peace
and replace it with terror?

But in the end, I did eventually meet God.
I met God in Mother Nature.
I met God in the mountains
and She reminded me that I am powerful.
I met God in the evergreens
and She reminded me
that I, too, could remain green through the winters.
And I met the God within me
and was reminded of my deeper purpose.