Communication Issues by Dr. Juan Harrison

Maybe I crossed over the line to senility or have truly become certifiable.  Whatever, I found myself talking out loud to God as I was beginning work on a job outside at a customer’s house.  I felt like Tevye from  Fiddler on the Roof.   I think I was half griping and half asking for a little favor.  It wasn’t a big thing.  From time-to-time I’ll stop or slow down as I word a prayer request or some words of gratitude for an undeserved favor.  This time it almost felt like a conversation as I half expected to hear Him reply like He did in the Old Testament with the patriarchs.

I think what I’m sorta saying is that it felt kinda oddly personal.  Maybe that’s a commentary on the weakness of my faith or my lack of understanding about how God works.  I try not to be the Pharisee sounding pompous on the street corner.  I think it was suggested for him and his show off friends to go do that in a closet.  I know I don’t have to utter a word as He understands my heart.  Maybe it just makes it more real when we verbalize it.  We’re told He understands our uttering and groaning when we cannot find the words to express our grief, sorrow, and sadness.

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In bad weather my land line gets all staticky and unusable.  Once in a while there will be a problem with the cell tower, and my cell phone won’t work or maybe I go through a valley on Hwy 19 to Paris and get no reception.  Sometimes Suddenlink apologizes for no reception on my TV during a storm.  Maybe the electricity goes out or no Internet is available.  Probably some of you remember having to go turn the antenna to try and get maybe a total of two or three channels.  I say this to point out that a lot of our human communication equipment can fail us at any time.

What’s so special about a believer’s access to his Father is that we’re the only limiting factor in the equation.  You’ve probably seen one of those old billboards that said something like, “How about getting in touch with me.  I’ve missed you.  Love, God.” Some of us may have left a similar voice mail or text for our own child hoping they would get back to us.

I’ve written a few times over the years about God’s children’s foolishness in having a 24-hour open line to their Father yet foolishly forgetting to dial when the need arose.   Like having an insurance policy and not filing a claim for an insured loss, not staying in touch with our Creator is not too wise on our part.  Just think how you’d feel knowing your child needed your help but refused to call you.  Now multiply that a few times, and we might get a sense how He feels about it.