Once, my Uncle JC told me that he spent most of his day in conversation with His God. I say his God because I feel that his almighty being may be the same as mine, but inevitably our relationships with “the Him” will be so very different that our perceptions of “the Him” would be as different as our relationships.
So, he had his God and I have my “divine creator”, by whatever name I choose to use at the very moment I choose to use it. Which in many circumstances my choice of name for “the everlasting never swaying maker of all” would be a source of great debate. A debate that I would be more than willing to have, but not until next Tuesday because I am busy trying my best not to sin and that conversation may very well end up in me saying an unacceptable four-letter word. And honestly, I am too old to have my Aunt Peggy chasing me around with a fly swatter.
At 13 years old when my uncle told me about his conversations with “his God” I was absolutely floored.
“So, you are telling me I can talk to God anytime I want to, not just meals and bedtime?”
“I can say anything?”
“I can just talk to him like he is my friend?”
"I can just be me?"
"None of that oh holy how blessed be the name of the father and spirit halleluiah amen?"
"Does he actually answer you?"
“Oh, this should be good! I got a lot to say and tons of questions!”
I am certain that my uncle did not expect that reaction. At that point he shook his head and went back to his conversation, and I am sure he started praying for me, because things got weird. It was like this simple revelation changed everything! But we will get to that later.
From that day on the only God related questions Uncle JC ever asked me was, “Are you good with God?” Now he did not bother asking if I was good with Jesus, he knew I was a Christian and my sins would be forgiven through the "greatest gift". So why ask about God?
I would think about it. Am I good with God? What exactly did that mean? So, me being the smart ass I am, (that is only a 3-letter word and in the bible), I really thought about it and picked it apart. Am I a sinner? Oh yea! undoubtedly! Do I try to act right? Maybe, not as often as I should! How many commandments have I broken this week? None! So, the logical answer was YES! I AM GOOD WITH GOD!
But that is not what he was talking about. My Uncle was talking about my relationship with God. My personal walk with him. Was my relationship that of a neglectful child or a troubled soul? Or did I nurture a true bond with “the divine him”? The answer was much simpler than I had ever thought, because when I figured out that I could talk to him and just be me, that's exactly what I did.
So, the answer, sometimes, is yes! Other times it's more like:
“Not at the moment, we are disagreeing about some things”
or
“No, I am angry, and he is just not talking to me right now!”
But my best answer yet,
“I am not listening to him so; he is kicking my ass in the direction he wants me to go in!”
That happens a lot! And eventually we will get around to that too.
I rely on the generosity of others for support so my content can remain free for anyone who wants to hear this message.
