The Journey: Conversation 12-16-2019

By Dean Foster

The Journey: Conversation

 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.  When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."  Luke 11:1

            From the other side of the kitchen counter where they drop their bookbags he said, "Hi uncle Dean, look what I got at school today."  

            Looking down all I saw was messed up hair and big brown eyes looking up.  Then his little hand holding what looked like a multicolored ball the size of a walnut came sliding across toward me.  It was a colorful cube of some kind sealed in clear plastic.  I asked, "What have you got there?"

            "My teacher gave it to me," he announced.    

            "That's cool," I bent over for a better look, "why did she do that?"

            "I don't know why but she had a bunch of stuff in a basket and we all got to pick, so I picked this.  It's a puzzle!"

            Trying to count the number of flat sides on the thing in his hand I could tell it was one of "those" puzzles, plastic pieces that slip or snap into, around, through or over each other to form a solid three-D geometric shape when completed.  Counting gave way to the thought—they make those things for kindergarteners now?  Crazy!  Well, its small, how hard can it be?

            I said, "Oh man, did you say it’s a puzzle?" Just to see what he would do.

            "Yeah, I know," he perked up, "I'm serious, it is one, that's why I picked it."

            "If it's a puzzle, how do you do it?" Didn't know how or if he would answer that.  Sometimes I ask just to see what they say. 

            He answered cautiously, "I don't know that yet, so I'm leaving it in the plastic until I know how to do it."  The kid is a riot when he plays it safe like that.  Because five minutes later he's jumping off of God knows what like he's a superhero.

            "O.K.," I assured him, "If that's what you want to do.  Save it and we can do the puzzle together later.  It might be complicated. Go ahead and leave it in the plastic." 

            I still didn't know how many sides it had or colors it was but at least he wouldn't open it and lose the pieces.  Then in that genuine, innocent six-year-old voice he quietly said, "Uncle Dean, I think I will just leave it in the plastic forever."

            Now fellow Journeymen, most of you will know what I mean when I say that God teaches me to walk in His ways.  He’s had good cause to gently clock me on the forehead with the heel of his hand a few times.  But never before like He did that time.  And I felt that one right where I should have, in the heart.  I had just told a kindergartener not to take the plastic off of a 30-cent toy gift because it might not be easy to play with!  What was I thinking!?    

            I should have told him to rip it open and see how it works.  Or bluntly, GET IT OUT OF THE BOX BOY!   USE IT UP OR GIVE IT AWAY!  Don't worry about tomorrow (Mt. 6:34).  Better yet I should have dropped what I was doing and said, "Let's do it right now!" But no, I heard what I did say and a still small voice say, you know tomorrow he will be eleven and it will seem the day after that…eighteen.  Then I looked down and he was gone. 

              I could have gone after him but it was Thursday afternoon.  Sandy, both boys and I were supposed to be back at the school in an hour and a half for this "Cookies with Santa" thing they were having for all the kids.  I let it go figuring the multisided puzzle would be stashed in his "private collection box" and forgotten.

            Late at night, sitting here in the den I stop to reflect on the day the Lord has just given me.  Taking time to consider what God does when I call out to Him reminds me to be at peace knowing I am safe in Him.  It's a time to be awed, comforted and amazed by the stunning things I know He has done in my life and the lives of others.  I sometimes even try to picture the things He has promised and I know He will do. 

            That night I thought about believers and others who don't reach out for the peace that prayer presents us with, people who literally don't trust the Creator of all things who now waits simply to hear our voices.  The Almighty One wants nothing more than to walk with us and talk with us and listen to all of our pain.  If that isn't breathtaking, I don't know what is.    

            Considering prayer this way brought me back to the little boy's response to the unexpected gift; the multisided puzzle from his teacher.  I became aware of how his response to the teacher's gift was similar in some ways to the reply God has known to His gift of prayer. 

            The boy's feelings ranged from joy about receiving the gift to apprehension and fear of the difficulty it could present.  Prayer is a pathway to the joy of closeness with God, yet some fear they may not do it well or it will show weakness so they miss out on the joy of victory.  What are you thinking!?  Rip off the plastic man!  Rejoice and start the conversation!  God wants you any way He can get you to know Him.

            How could such a mainstay, in the most filling of all relationships be so misunderstood and overlooked this way.  The multisided puzzle meant little to the boy while covered in plastic.  Somehow, he thought he could learn its ways while it was sealed away.  If not, at least it would be there in the event he ever wanted or needed it.   

            His joy and expectation for the toy became apprehension when fear entered in.  A puzzle sounds good, but what if some special clue was needed to solve the thing.  There could be some trick to it.  One minute he was choosing a new toy from the teacher's basket, the next there was a question in his hand.  Why doesn't prayer always work?  What exactly do they mean when they say, "pray hard"? 

            The many flat surfaces, rounded corners, and different colors of the multisided puzzle, seem to hold great promise.  A game that plays again and again, different every time.  Puzzles come with their own caveat though.  Some people are good at puzzles and some people aren't.  A puzzle isn't much fun if you can't solve it.  We might as well leave it in the plastic.  What if we say a prayer and it doesn't work?  We might as well not…, no, He wants us to. 

            Prayer has been compared to many things and I am not the one to think of some new metaphor.  Fellow Journeymen, the Holy Spirit and the Journey will teach us many things about prayer as we travel.  One thing I know about the astonishing gift of conversation with God is that once we begin talking it cannot be truly compared to anything else.  Not even close.  The simple reason for that is the singular characteristic of prayer that sets it apart.  The unlimited power of God makes that all things possible (Mt. 19:26).   

            In case any of you were wondering, the multisided puzzle did come out of the plastic, and it also came apart (Story is the brother did it.).  The pieces never even got close to his "private collection box" either.  He lost interest and the multisided puzzle is here on my desk, all six pieces.  Small, different shapes, different colors, some are hollow, some not, but they're all safely together in a zip lock bag.  I've saved them just in case he has the time some day and wants to work at putting it together.  Seems that is the way God would want us to learn how many sides the multisided puzzle has.