The Dialogue
"Come now let us reason together…"
Isaiah 1:18a*
The dialogue initiates open spaces in our prayers—times when we listen, in silence. Sure, as followers, we petition, set our raw hearts before God in hopes He will see, have mercy, and do. But when we engage in the dialogue, we decidedly stop all rants and open our hands and ears.
When I was a youthful believer, I thought that spirituality resulted from doing all of the right things: having a regular quiet time (when Christians pray and read the Bible); attending several church meetings a week; confessing my slime ball status in hopes of eliciting grace and mercy…you get the picture.
Now that I've believed for the greater portion of my 52 years, I'm more inclined to question my good works rather than boast in them. Instead of trying to impress God, I find myself waiting for the dialogue. Whether the insight comes in a dream or when I'm in the shower, while inking my heart into words or driving to work, I know when thoughts—uncharacteristic to my own—interrupt my finite mind.
In these moments, nothing on this earth matters more than listening and absorbing the message—the best I can while still in human form.
Recently, I met a new friend, in the most unlikely of places. She gets me. Together we crack twigs of tried experience that God sparks, as if kindling wood, to light fires of understanding. Through her impassioned words, I hear my Father's whispers, the dialogue. She encourages me that I'm not crazy, but that I've merely followed the Spirit of God along a path that led me, at times, outside of conventional Christianity.
As my friend speaks of God's faithfulness in her own life, I realize how I never want to be religious again—the quest for spiritual acceptance based on good works or church attendance.
I just want the dialogue; an exchange of thoughts with the One who still creates life upon this earth, through the most sacred of invitations:
"Come now let us reason together…"
I invite you to share a comment or link a post about your experiences with the dialogue.
*"Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
www.lockman.org
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