Dear Fellow Children of God,
On Friday, May 11, I
was sitting in the entrance of the Palmer Carrs-Safeway grocery store selling
tickets for the Palmer Kiwanis Club of which I am a member. This activity
raises money for our club so we can help youth in the community. But sitting in the entrance to a busy store
for two hours provides a unique opportunity.
Not only did I get to talk that day to many people I know and some I don’t
know. This time also provided an
opportunity for some ‘people watching.’
While talking with one
person that Friday, I noticed another couple walking toward the front door of
the store further across the entrance.
As they walked past me the man’s phone rang. He took out his phone, looked at the number
and then showed the number to his wife as the phone kept ringing. They looked at each other and put the phone
away without answering it.
I am learning new
rules in regard to phone etiquette. When
I grew up we always answered the phone when it rang. In fact, my brothers and sister and I often
ran to the phone to be the first to answer.
Of course that was in the days of rotary dial phones and before
solicitation calls. Perhaps I am dating
myself.
I am now beginning to
understand there are new rules of phone etiquette. But, I confess that these new rules still
surprise me. I have learned that today,
with caller ID and so many phone solicitations, people choose not to answer
every call. I even confess that I have
done the same at times. When the car
repair shop called me recently and I was in the middle of an important meeting
I let the phone ring and called back later.
What a blessing to
know there is someone who always listens when we call. Children of God have found strength and
comfort throughout the ages knowing that our Lord loves us and listens to
us. King David, speaking by the Spirit,
says in Psalm 17:6,
wrote, “I call on you, O God, for you
will answer me; give ear to me
and hear my prayer.” And the Apostle
John writes in his first letter. “13 I write these things to you who believe
in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears
us.” (1 John 5:13-14) In other words, when we go to God He
listens. God hears and He answers.
I am not saying that
God always answers every prayer the way we desire. Consider Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane. The Father did not “take the
cup of suffering” from Jesus. Consider
Paul’s prayer about the thorn in his flesh in 2 Corinthians 12. God did not take the thorn away. But, scripture says and, I believe, that God
answers prayer according to His wisdom and love with our eternal welfare in
mind.
God’s wisdom is beyond
my understanding. I don’t always
understand His answer to my prayers.
But, just think, there is someone who does not put us on hold when we
call. There is someone who does not
refuse to answer. There is someone who
always has time to listen. And that
someone is the Creator and Lord of the Universe! When our world can make us feel unwanted and
unimportant because someone doesn’t want to listen, what a message of love to
know that, “if we ask anything according
to his will, he hears us.”
A Fellow Child of God,
thankful that God chooses to listen,
Pastor Jonathan
****
ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS
FROM THE PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully
weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am
always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving
this e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive
this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list
for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one
of these e-mails, please send me their
e-mail address.
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