What to do when God doesn't answer...

Today, I just want to share to you Pastor Bill Hybels' interesting experience after a baptism service in their church. 

He writes: "I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful. I asked her if she was all right. 

She said, 'No, I'm struggling.' 

She said, 'My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I'm crying is because I came this close to giving up on her. 

At the 5-year mark I said, "Who needs this? God isn't listening." 

At the 10-year mark I said, "Why am I wasting my breath?" 

At the 15-year mark I said, "This is absurd." At the 19-year mark 

My Best Friend

Friends play an important role in my life. It's hard for me to think of a period when I didn't have several close ones. 

My best friend is David. The close relationship we have didn't happen merely because of the passage of time, although that certainly played a role. In analyzing our friendship, the most significant factor has been that we nurtured the relationship. We spent time together. We talked. We shared things about ourselves that we had told no one else. I share this about David because it's the best way I know to talk about my Best Friend in the universe. His name is Jesus. 

This morning, I went for a walk with Him through a wooded area near my home. I had a quiet, peaceful time. Of course, I did most of the talking, because Jesus is a better listener than I am. But I paused occasionally. A few times I stopped, and we pushed aside our conversation to take in the wild ducks that live all year long at the little lake. Jesus and I sat in silence on a bench as I stared at the murky water and gazed upward at the cloudless sky. In the far distance, I heard a child call another. Although I couldn't see them, cars occasionally whizzed down the nearby street.