Communication Breakdown

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is based on a thought from PurposeDrivenLife.com...


Communication Breakdown
by John Fischer

Lord, are we talking?

It seems like it's been a while. My voice to You feels weak. I mean, there's no doubt about my belief, but I guess believing doesn't count as communication...I think I've assumed that it does without really thinking about it...(I can believe in my wife and not talk to her for a week--wouldn't be too good for our relationship, though--why can't I see that about my relationship with You?). How long has it been since You heard from me--really heard from me? If I have to ask that question, it must have been a while.

Somehow I've got You doing nothing but waiting around to hear from me while I go about my business oblivious to our lack of communication. Like I've got more important things to do than You do...That sounds pretty close to blasphemy, making me wonder how often I blaspheme You with my self-centered assumptions.

Is our relationship more important to You than it is to me? If it is, I am seriously overestimating my own importance. And the issue is not whether You are on my side; the question is: am I on Yours? Only I can answer that, I guess. Am I centering my life on You? The fact that the lines of communication seem rusty right now indicates there is a lot of inequity here.

What do I need to do to get back in touch? What's that? You say I'm doing it right now? You just want my attention and You'll take it any way it comes--through joy, sorrow, confession, pain or the simple reestablishment of communication? That seems almost too easy, Lord. What's that You're saying? "Walk with me and work with me, watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:29-30 in The Message Bible).

I think I'm getting it now. No matter how far I may have strayed away, it's always a short trip back. The breakdown in communication was only on my part, never Yours. I don't have to retrace my steps back to the last place I got off before I can hear You again, because You've been dogging me the whole way. As soon as I turn my heart and attention towards You, You are there to meet me, because You never left--I did.

Seems almost too good to be true. Where did I get the idea it's supposed to be hard? God's just a word from you away...He's not mad, He just wants to hear from you, you know? I mean, how cool is that? Just take a second and say hello and thanks for the good things (and even the not-so-good-things).

You've been prayed for today...