SOMEONE ON THE
OTHER END OF THE LINE
I was restless, seeking, searching
for more of God. Deciding to do a
personal Bible study, I went to the Christian bookstore in Wiarton, operated by
the leader of Women Aglow there. She
directed me to a booklet “Alive in the
Spirit” (I cannot remember the author’s name ), which I began to read.
One of the things I learned from the
book was that prayer is a two-way conversation.
If I say something to God, He will respond. As basic as this sounds, it was revolutionary
to me at the time. Up to then, with my
solid evangelical training, I would read a chapter of Scripture, sensing what
God was saying to me through that Scripture.
I would pray about my concerns, and wait in faith for God to take over
in that situation. But I had no
experience of God ‘s actually having a conversation with me.
Excited to try conversing with God,
I woke up early the next morning and listened to hear what He would say.
Here is what God had on His heart:
“I wish My children would get along
with each other.”
Whether
applied to families, the church or the various races created by Him, He was
almost plaintively appealing to His children to try to understand others
different from themselves. Like a
mother, He loves and understands each one, and wants that one accepted and
appreciated. He grieves over the
fighting and misunderstanding which go on when we think everyone should be the
same as we are. A doer might have disdain for a dreamer, yet both are created
by God for His purposes.
I was honoured that God shared His
heart with me.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice is so sweet, the birds hush their
singing…(In the
Garden, by C. Austin Miles)
Since then, I have come to know His
voice, and to treasure the intimate words of encouragement and love which He
speaks to me alone. No one else can set
me free, with a healing word, from self-condemning thoughts about things done
long ago. No one else calls me “Curly”,
the pet name my late husband Rien used to call me, with the same husbandly
level of intimacy.
Having heard His loving voice, I
cannot live without it.
For unto us a child is born, to us a
son is given,
and the government shall be on his
shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)
