The phone rings. Thank goodness for Caller ID. It tells me the caller is “Unavailable.” I roll my eyes. We get too many of these calls.
It used to be that no one had a choice; we all had no idea who was on the other end of the line when we picked up a ringing phone. But today, technology is demystifying almost everything. Even the political calls I got earlier this month were each labeled, “Political Call.”
“So,” I want to ask this caller, “why should I listen to you – someone who won’t identify himself?”
I would only ask hypothetically, of course, because the truth is, I’m not going to pick up this call, or any other “Unavailable” or “Political Call” coming my way. I mean, why does anyone want to talk to someone who won’t reveal what he’s about and what he wants? That sounds kind of dangerous, doesn’t it?
About 10 years ago, this is how I thought of God, and frankly, I was ok with that. I believed in a benevolent being and knew a few Bible stories, but the idea of pursuing a relationship with God sounded freakish and threatening. And there was a lot I just couldn’t square – like how the God of the Old Testament had anything to do with the God of the New. The heart of the issue was this – keeping Him at a distance seemed safer than asking questions that would give me more information about Him, because if I dared ask, I might find something that turned me upside down.
Like what, you ask?
– Like answers that cleared up confusion I had about His story
– Like a new way of understanding my own past
– Like people in Scripture I can relate to (who would have thought?)
– Like peace and wholeness I could not explain
But I eventually, tentatively entered into the conversation because He had been nudging me for a very long while – piquing my curiosity through my interests in literature, art, and places I’d visited around the world. He’d also made my path cross with certain people, sparked conversations that left me wondering, and whispered truths to me that my soul recognized instantly.
Now I understand. He just wanted me to come home. He cares for me and protects me, and always has, even when I didn’t acknowledge Him. And now I’m so, so thankful that I finally accepted His call.
