Whatever you do, please, please don't take my phone away!

Isn’t it crazy how dependent we’ve become of that device that connects us with others?

Working as an over-the-phone interpreter, I literally live on the phone. For eight hours a day, I receive calls with only a couple of seconds in between. Grueling? Yep, it is. But I absolutely love, love my job. Why? Because I delight in speaking. So what better way to best enjoy what I do than to be able to speak in two languages?

But that talking also carries into my spiritual life. I spend time talking to the Lord, pouring out my woes, my joys, fears, and doubts. Sometimes I do that in silence expressing all that with my heart, other times with my voice, and then through journaling, too. I believe that’s called “prayer.” That’s right prayer is simply dialing that always-available number in the heavens and of God, with His love, saying, “Hello, I’m listening.”

May 1st was the official day of prayer. No doubt the heavenly lines were jammed. But no prayer was left unheard.

And here’s a bit of insight: prayer becomes more critical when waiting for God’s answer. Prayer keeps us glued together to exercise the virtue that often escapes our thinking, eludes our efforts and is dismissed more than it should. You know what that is—patience.

Here’s what Dr. Charles Stanley says about patience…see if you agree. From the In Touch Devotional:

The Rewards of Patience -- Hebrews 6:13-15

“Patience is a hard lesson for us to learn. We don't like patience. We don't have time for patience! Life is fast, time's running out, and we've got to get this show on the road, right?

This is clearly how most of us act, even if we don't express it. Perhaps that's why Scripture includes so many examples of godly patience and reward. Over and over, we see the Father making promises to His children, only to have them wait years, sometimes decades, for the promise to be fulfilled. But the result of that patience is always blessing.

Consider Abraham. At age 75, he was given God's promise of a son. 10 years later, he was still waiting. Fifteen years passed, then 20, and still no son. Finally, when Abraham was 100, a quarter-century after God had made the promise, baby Isaac was born. Surely Abraham had times of doubt during those 25 years. Yet he continued to trust God and kept watching for the fulfillment of His promise.

There are plenty of other examples. As a young man, Jacob met the girl of his dreams, but he worked many years before making her his bride. Joseph had a God-given vision of blessing at age 17 but languished 13 years in slavery and prison before receiving the reward. David was anointed King of Israel as a teenager but spent the next 14 years or so running for his life before taking the throne.

Shortcuts never lead to where God wants us to be. The long road, however, is filled with faithful servants. Are you waiting on the Lord today? Be encouraged. You're in good company.”

And here’s the best news of all, the phone line connecting our soul with God’s ear is never out of order. So, while exercising patience…let your heart begin the dialing.

Janet Perez Eckles
www.janetperezeckles.com

“Life is not about what you cannot do because of circumstances out of your control. Success comes when you recognize what you can do with what God has given you.”
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