My wife has a wonderful ability to talk on the telephone with our grandchildren. She can create an endless stream of questions to keep them pleasantly engaged. It is just the opposite with me. After a few questions about school I run dry and so when we are both home my wife does the talking with them. But I listen. I enjoy listening. I want to know what is happening in their lives; I just do not have the creativity to extract the information. The children think they are only talking to grandma. They don’t know grandpa is listening.
My heavenly Father and I do not engage in active conversation. I do not know what to ask Him. What do I say, “How are you?” I know He’s fine. I guess I could ask Him what He did today but I doubt if I would understand the complexity of what He does to maintain the universe. It would be like my conversation about work with my older son. When I ask him what he does at work he tries to explain but I am too dull to get it. Don’t misunderstand me, I do talk with God in my prayers but it is not much of a dialogue. I mostly hear me.
Someone could say, because I do not hear Him He is not there. I would be tempted to think so but then I remember the telephone calls with my grandchildren. Grandpa is there. He is listening. He cares.
“And Jesus said unto them, ‘When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven.'” Luke 11:2
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 22, 2003
Spring of Life, 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453