A relationship with God is like a friendship between two people. In any friendship, people who only talk to each other when they need something do not seem like true friends. In the same way, we must not only pray to God when we need something from Him.
A friendship also involves conversation between (at least) two people. Listening is a very important part of this conversation. If one person talks the whole time, then the other friend will feel limited and unimportant. However, when both friends equally share in the talking and listening, then it seems like they are having a more realistic conversation. When we pray to God, we are having a conversation with Him. The same “rules” described above about friendships are also applicable to our friendship/relationship with God. Since friendship involves taking time to listen to the other person, we must also take time to listen to God. The Lord is always listening to us when pray. However, I think that we forget to pause and listen to God since He is not physically sitting right in front of us. Lately, God has shown me that He speaks to us when we take time to listen. During this summer, my family and I have not been able to go on any vacations. Although this does not seem like the worst-case scenario for my life, there is so much more to the story than what it appears to be on the surface. My little brother is a special needs kid who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD about ten years ago. People with autism often struggle with social skills like communication. Specifically, my brother is nonverbal. (Although he is not completely mute, he can’t speak fluently.) Most of the time, it is difficult for him to understand and to speak in full sentences. My brother also has difficulty understanding logical reasoning. When he does not understand why he did not get his way in a situation, he becomes very upset and he may throw a tantrum, just like any regular kid. Since my brother becomes easily frustrated when trying to communicate verbally, it is hard for my family to go on vacations together. There are so many factors that could go wrong during a vacation, so my family prefers to stay home because it always ends up being less stressful. Throughout these past few months, I have also had a lot more time to do fun things since I recently graduated from high school. Unlike last year, I do not need to do any summer assignments or write multiple college application essays. With all the extra free time that I have had, I started picturing what it would feel like to travel to different areas around the world so that I could explore new places and relax. However, I began to feel discouraged when my hopes did not become a reality. One day, I was sitting in my room and I decided to pray about my situation. I started talking to God in the same way that I talk to any of my close friends—I was honest and I told Him exactly how I felt. God wants us to be honest with Him, even if we express doubt or disappointment because He cares about us. (1 Peter 5:7) After going on and on about my situation, I decided to pause and listen because I did not want to leave God out of the conversation. In that moment, God put the verse “Psalm 72:12” in my mind. I looked it up, and turns out that verse does not exist. (Haha) However, while I was flipping through my Bible, God reminded me of Psalm 91. I then flipped a few more pages until I reached that Psalm, and I began reading: “(1) Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ (3) Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. (4) He will cover you with feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge—” After I read the underlined phrase from verse 4, the voice in my mind just suddenly stopped reading. It was so unusual because I stopped reading subconsciously, without my brain’s command. However, it was in that moment that God told me something SO POWERFUL! He said, “Christina, you want to go on vacation so that you can find rest and relaxation. However, you can find that rest right here and right now in Me.” Wow, wow, wow! My mind was awestruck after God spoke to me. God reminded me that no matter where I search for rest in this world, true rest can in be found in Him only, because He is my refuge! The rest we find in this world is temporary, but the rest we find in God is eternal. I am so amazed that God knows exactly what to say when we are feeling discouraged. However, if we do not take the time to pause from the chaos in our busy lives, then we will miss the encouragement that God has for us! This situation has really opened my eyes to the importance of being still and listening to God. I am also reminded that being able to communicate with God so easily is a blessing. The people who lived on Earth before Christ came were separated from God because of sin, and those people were not able to have such a close relationship with God. However, through Christ’s death and resurrection, we now have an opportunity to speak with God anytime and anywhere, and we must not forget to make the most of this blessing. I encourage you all to open your hearts to God, because I know that He is able to speak to you in a very personal and encouraging way if you simply pause and listen.
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