God Loves to FaceTime with You

Photo by Heather McKean on Unsplash

We made it! 2020 is behind us.

The introvert in me didn’t mind working from home. A year without travel was a welcome relief to my weary body. Extended time with my husband and with my Lord was a true gift.

But my children and their children—my heart aches. One family lives in Montana, another in Alabama. Only our son is nearby—just an hour away. It’s been more than a year and a half since I’ve seen either daughter and family. I’ve seen our son twice, and his family once. I miss them all!!

But I thank God for Zoom and Google hangouts and especially for FaceTime and Video Messenger. I’ve had face-to-face (virtually) with every grandchild. Many times with some. They call me—like last night. We tickled each other over the phone.  

What a joy. No, I couldn’t hold them or sit next to them, but I could talk to them. (I even wrote about asking questions to get your grandkids to talk width you. You can read it here.)

In some ways, that’s how it is with us and God. No, we aren’t with Him physically, but we can talk, and He will listen, and respond, and give us feedback, and remind us how much He loves us.

In these tumultuous days that’s what we need. The all-powerful creator of the Universe, the God who made us and our loved ones, the Father who sent His Son and His Spirit—inviting us to come and talk, to pour out our hearts, to beg, to keep asking, to believe even when we doubt, to thank and then ask again.

We can FaceTime with this God anytime. I know when our grands call us, and we see their smiling faces, we rejoice. Even more does God rejoice when we come to Him with every need, every heartbreak, every fear, every hope.

You can hold on to these verses:

To Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist: “But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.” (Luke 1:13)

To the children of Israel awaiting freedom from captivity in Babylon: “You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

In the book of Hebrews: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

And to help you persevere in praying and waiting, here are three great books:

From my friend Stacey Thacker: Threadbare Prayers: Prayers for Hearts that Feel Hidden, Hurt or Hopeless.

From Sheila Walsh: Praying Women: How to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say

From Katherine James in her story of a son’s addiction: A Prayer for Orion: A Son’s Addiction and a Mother’s Love

And finally, I’m again giving you the link to “The Mystery of Prayer”, a one-page printable, in case you didn’t open it before:

May the New Year be filled with new hope in and deeper love for your God.