I’m especially grateful for my beloved who is an expert grocery shopper, thanks to the choice he made years ago to be the one responsible for this household task. When he sets out to restock our pantry, nothing escapes his trained eye and sense of touch—price, quality, brand—he knows the best place for everything on the list.
He also knows my propensity to call him on his mobile when I have a sudden inspiration for a new recipe and kindly ask if he could pick up ingredient x or y. Except that once in a while he forgets to turn his phone on. Most of the time it’s not an emergency so I leave a pleasant voice mail and add the items to the list for the next trip.
All of which got me to pondering connections. Specifically, our connection with the Divine. Ever tried to “call God” and it feels like he’s so preoccupied with his billions of celestial duties he’s not picking up?
Our first response might be, “Hey, where are you?” Huh. Must be too busy to listen to little old me. If our best efforts to reach him seem to fall on deaf ears, we may get annoyed, even sulk a bit.
For whatever reason we believe God is silent, truth is, it’s not God who turns off the line of communication. Yep, it’s you and me.
Unlike our earthly connections that can be disrupted by indifferent or careless human behavior, our line to the Divine is not as easily broken. So how do we make sure we’re tuned in on our end?
One of the simplest ways is to listen and observe. With open ears, eyes and heart, we soon recognize the multitude of earthly and heavenly ways God may choose to speak to us.
The incredible truth is, God will try to get our attention through just about any person, or any aspect of his creation. Our spouse, our children, our friends, the stranger at the checkout. The sun, the rain, the wind, the hail.
When we choose to use our senses and stay alert, we might be surprised how tuned in he is to our day—our life, our joys, our needs, and our desires. Enough so the best smartphone will seem insignificant in the bigger picture. All of which doesn’t mean I won’t probably still need to gently remind my beloved to turn his the next time he makes a trip down the produce aisle.
Am I as connected to God as I am to my earthly companions?
How do I feel when God tries to get my attention through the unexpected?
Am I open and alert to different ways of Divine communication?
