ln a small community in California, at a young woman’s funeral, there was a lonely stand of flowers and a handful of people in attendance. The preacher used his “standard eulogy” for those who passed that he wasn’t familiar with. Admittedly, he told everyone that he didn’t know the young lady very well, only through her father.
This young lady rebelled against her father as a late teenager and moved out. She was very privileged but didn’t see eye to eye with what life plans her father had in mind for her. Though very much loved and spoiled, she decided she would be better off living somewhere else. Car loaded with her belongings, she left behind her father’s pesky attempts of changing her mind.
She stayed with friends for a while. No job, no sizable amount of money, and a fiercely independent attitude left her in quite the predicament. She pawned most of her belongings and sold her car. After an argument with a friend, she ended up on the street. She stayed at a cheap motel in a scurvy part of the city for a few nights until she ran out of money. This is where her life took a terrible turn. She couldn’t bring herself to call her dad and apologize. Just two nights on the street and her phone was stolen, leaving her with only a small bag of clothes.
She fell prey to a life of prostitution and drugs where she lived on the streets of LA for many years to come. She endured beatings, was raped, and robbed on numerous occasions. Her father was a multi-millionaire. All she had to do was connect with him, but instead she shoved the needle deeper into her veins, pushing more drugs to numb the pain.
Her father mourned the loss of his child as he came across her many times when she was on the streets. Some nights he would ride through the city looking for her but every time he found her, she pushed him away. He simply could not reach his lost child. He had everything she needed to get clean and have a good, successful life. He even offered her a luxurious home in the rolling hills that overlooked the ocean. Yet she chose an underpass over an ocean view. Why would he offer her so much and she continue to push him away? She felt like she had messed up so badly and couldn’t be forgiven. But her father had a forgiving heart. Even though he did, she couldn’t forgive herself for the person that she turned into. She searched for a fix. But the love, forgiveness, and acceptance was in her father. She just couldn’t see.
How many times have we made a mess of our lives and God had chased us down, offering us a good life? Offering us a mansion in the most beautiful place of all? But we scold Him and scoff at His attempts. When we face trying times or unimaginable pain, do we look to Him for all of the answers? I don’t mean a quick 5 minute prayer. I mean an honest, sincere block of quiet time. Just pouring ourself into Him. Asking Him for guidance. So many times I’ve had an issue and instead of praying to Him about it or spending quiet time in search of Him and His will for my life, I picked up the phone and discussed it with a friend or family member. Perhaps I added it to my prayers, but I’m sure He was quite let down to see me make the call to them instead of Him. Afterall, He has all of the answers. He knows our needs before we voice them to Him. Why you ask? If God already knows our need then why should we have to voice it to Him? Because He is God and it is pleasing to Him to see us long for a relationship with Him and to want to hear from Him. To want to know what His will is for our lives. It’s not an ego thing. He is God and we need Him. Showing Him that we need Him is in essence showing Him our love and affection. Our duty to seek Him isn’t about Him feeling better about Himself. It’s about an obedient child asking for guidance from their parent who is wise and has eyes to see the direction. It’s wanting to connect with Him. It’s wanting to visit with Him. Not just on Sunday morning services, but to go out in His world and acknowledge all of the beauty His hands have made, and just talk to him.
As a parent, I don’t always love the 20 questions that I get. Lol. But I do love it when my children ask me questions about me and my life. It shows me that they care and want to know more about me. And I do the same with them. Even though I’ve been around their whole lives, I still ask them questions. Sometimes their answers surprise me and I learn more about my child. It’s a wonderful feeling getting to know them just a little better. I imagine that’s how God feels when we come to Him and talk. No agenda, no prayer requests, just wanting to learn a little more about Him and to tell Him a little more about ourselves.
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”-Jeremiah 29:12-13 NIV
