The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him. . . . Psalm 145:18
I had just read a passage in a book about prayer, explaining how God was always waiting to hear from us, that He longed for us to call, that He was always ready to listen. Something slightly cynical in me bridled at the notion.
As ready as I usually am to yammer on about things, I couldn’t quite see how God would be so ready and willing to listen to me. Then in the middle of my morning, when I had a meeting in a half hour, tons of e-mails to be answered and a huge impatience with any interruptions, the phone rang. “Hello,” I answered quickly, making sure my tone said, “I’m busy. Make it brisk.”
“Hey, Dad.” It was William, 7:30 in the morning his time of day. He was on his Blue Tooth commuting to work. All at once my tone changed. “William, how are you?”
He told me about the job he was on right now and how he found it frustrating. He talked about a good friend who had gotten a job in the Bay Area and was moving to his neighborhood. He described a dinner party a group of young women had thrown that Wednesday. I was able to ask him about the job interview, the final round he was going for on Friday afternoon. “At this point, if they offer me something, I’m really tempted to take it,” he said. “Gotta go.”
“Me too,” I said.
Ten minutes was all, but they were the heart of my day. I’d connected with my son; he’d connected with me. For those ten minutes, even though I was intensely busy, I had all the time in the world.
Later I went back to that passage about prayer. I got it, or at least got why God is often compared to a father: He hangs on every word, and He’s always ready to listen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven—glad You’re listening.
