The Lord likes to talk.
He doesn’t require a professional spokesman, although He might enlist a friend. He doesn’t always need words. I hear Him whisper in gentle murmurs of a sleeping grandchild on my lap. He joins me on a walk with my son as we process our journey with adult eyes.
It’s like He cares. Not the generic, God loves you. But the specific, I know you.
He speaks when I’m tired and haven’t had time to think. He isn’t fragile. He keeps up when life is too fast-paced to be planned with impeccable detail. He doesn’t require my full attention or my perfection. A glimpse. A touch. I feel His presence. I know He’s there.
When I was little and didn’t like what was going on around me, I’d create my own world. Using my imagination, I planned scenarios and determined their outcomes. It was lovely. Always what I wanted and how it wanted it.
As I grew older, I kept that world tucked away, but accessible when life pulled in too many directions. Or when I couldn’t control the reactions of others or pretend that mine were safely in check. I googled that imaginary place and found it had a name.
Making it better through fantasy. Guess I wasn’t the only one. No big deal. A little creative re-engineering of facts and voila! Life grown in the vial of my sweetest dreams. Until that world distracted me from a message smack in the middle of real life.
Like, Don’t disconnect because it doesn’t look like life’s working. Or Don’t give up! Keep pressing in to My heart even though your dreams appear dashed in the mess of it all.
I don’t have to sort it out. I call and He’s there, bringing the sweet fragrance of His presence on the scene. He won’t do all the talking. He’ll listen and respond in countless ways and in a reality I can always trust. I’ll submit that fantasy land to Him.
After all, there might be a something beautiful waiting for my attention, hidden in a tangle. But that’s okay. Untangling is what He does.
Revealing the precious, uncovering the jewel – and opening my eyes to see in the process.
In the River,
Laurel Thomas