28th August 2021

It’s always one of those amusing conversations, when someone rings you by mistake. I don’t mean from a wrong number. I mean pocket dialing. “Hello.” “Hello.” “How are you going?” “Not bad. And you?” “Yeah. Not bad.” … silence … waiting … more silence … “Er, are you keeping in good health?” “Yep. Not too bad, thanks. And you?” “Yes, going quite well.” … silence … waiting … more awkward silence … “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?” “I was going to ask you the same question!”

There’s one of those funny moments in the Book, in the boyhood story of Samuel. He’s just gone to bed, when some calls him. “Samuel here. How can I help?” “What,” says Eli, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed!” The old duffer has probably pocket-dialled me! The episode happened twice more, to the exasperation of both, before another and more dramatic possibility was suggested: Could it be that God was calling?

It’s difficult to think of having a conversation with God. I don’t mean in theory, where it all goes swimmingly. I mean in reality. Would I get tongue-tied? Would I say something dumb? Could I cope with the pauses? Perhaps for now, in this life, it’s enough to hear God speaking in and through His Word, and to know that He always hears me when I pray, even if the conversation seems to be one-sided. God has spoken, and God hears (which is what ‘Samuel’ literally means) – and that’s enough.

DM 28th August 2021