Three conversations

If you'll indulge me for a little while, reader, I'd like to show you a little bit of my imagination. Meet three fictional characters: George, Stephanie, and Max. In this blog post, they will be conversing with Father God. Please check out Luke 18:9-14 as a reference. I hope you enjoy.

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George: Uh, dear Lord... Oh, gosh. This is hard. You know I, uh, haven't been a praying man, but I'd like to become one.

Father God: That's wonderful, George! I always love hearing from you. Keep going. You're doing fine.

George: Uh, please bless my family. And, uh, please bless my pastor. (Sighs.) You know, my Sunday School teacher keeps telling me how I should pray, but it doesn't always make sense to me.

Father God: He didn't tell you that prayer is a two-way conversation. It's OK, because you're still learning, and you're very willing to learn. Keep going. You're doing fine.

George: I, uh, I'm not really sure if You can even hear me.

Father God: Sure I can. You need help hearing Me.

George: (Pauses.) I think maybe You want to talk to me. (Chuckles.) You know, I'd really like that.

Father God: I knew you would, My friend. I really look forward to us getting to know each other.

George: Uh, if you don't mind, Lord, I'd really like to ask You to bless me at my job. I'm having a really hard time right now. My supervisor is on my tail and making me work long hours and... I'm not sure I can take it here anymore. But my family needs my paycheck. Could You please help me?

Father God: I'm on it. You can count on Me.

George: (Sighs.) I don't even know if You're listening. I just don't talk fancy. When I pray, I don't sound like Max at all.

Father God: Please don't worry about that. You just need to be yourself. You can talk to Me about whatever you want. I just want to hear from you. I just want you.

George: (Chuckles.) Lord, I get the impression that all that fancy prayer talk don't really matter to You. You can hear me, right?

Father God: Loud and clear, My friend. I love you.

George: Well, my coffee break is almost over. But, uh, I guess You already knew that. Maybe I could pray to You again tonight after work.

Father God: Of course, My faithful, stouthearted son. Keep praying, and please don't ever stop. I love you.

George: In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

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Stephanie: Father! I'm here!

Father God: Child! I'm here, too!

Stephanie: (Laughs.) Oh, Father, You're so funny! You're so wonderful! (Begins to cry.) You're so holy. You're so worthy. You're so merciful. There's absolutely no one like You. There never will be.

Father God: I know, precious one. And you love Me.

Stephanie: (Sniffles.) Yes, Lord. You know that I love You. And I want to love You more.

Father God: Keep talking. I like it.

Stephanie: (Pauses.) Lord... I just don't feel worthy to be in Your presence. (Gasps.) I suddenly feel dirty because of that bad thought I had earlier today.

Father God: You know what to do with it, precious one. You know I'm training you. And you're already worthy because of my Son.

Stephanie: (Begins to cry again.) I'm so sorry, Lord. Can I please pour out my heart to You?

Father God: Yes, please, precious one. I want to take care of you.

Stephanie: (Sobs.) You love me so much! Please hold me, Father. I need You.

Father God: I love you, precious one. I'm building you up to be a queen in My kingdom.

Stephanie: Lord?

Father God: That's right, precious one. You are going to become a tree planted by streams of water, like it says in Psalm 1, and your life will be a shield and a refuge for others. Your life will be like a beacon for many men and women. You've been faithful in little, and you will be ruler over much. Well done, My good and faithful servant. I love you.

Stephanie: (Sniffles.) You mean, after all I've done, You still want to use me?

Father God: "Use" is not a very descriptive word. I want to move through you. I want to come alongside you. I want to help you. I want you to work with Me. I want you to abide in the love of My Son. I love you.

Stephanie: Can I please pour out more of my heart to You, Lord? I want to forgive Max. The way he was so rude to me in Sunday School the other day really offended me. He made me feel like an idiot, Lord. But I'm not an idiot. And I choose to forgive him, Lord. He didn't know what He was doing. (Sighs.) I feel a little bit better now, Lord.

Father God: I knew you would. I understand how Max can be. Please keep loving him. I'm his Father, too. I love you. I love being your Father. I'm so glad that I made you and that I know you.

Stephanie: You mean, even after all those terrible thoughts I've had, You still want me to be close to You?

Father God: Heck yes, precious one. I want us to enjoy a sweet relationship with one another. Stay close to Me, and point people to Me.

Stephanie: (Gasps.) Oh, I want that, Father. I want to show people how to know You. I want to teach people how to seek You. I want to run to You, and I want people to follow me into Your presence, right into Your lap, like in Psalm 45!

Father God: There you go, precious one. Keep talking. I like it!

Stephanie: Lord, start with my Sunday School class. But why stop there, Lord? I want to reach people in my neighborhood, Lord, in my workplace, Lord, and in the rest of this city, Lord! You said in Psalm 2 that if I ask, You will make the nations my inheritance! So, I'm asking You now, Father, please give me the nations!

Father God: (Roars.) Do you hear that, angels?? That's My girl!!

Stephanie: (Laughs.) Oh, Abba, Father, I can hear You roaring! Lion of Judah, roar!

Jesus: (Roars.) Yeah!

Father God: (Roars.) I love you!!

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Max: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.

Father God: Thank you, but you live in 2011. You aren't required to talk like it's 1611.

Max: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Father God: My beloved little boy, do you even understand what you're asking for?

Max: Give us this day our daily bread.

Father God: This prayer is an excellent place for you to start, but you're still a baby. You're still drinking milk. Are you hungry yet for the bread that I want to feed you? I have the finest of wheat that I'm just waiting to feed you. Ahem! Pick up your Bible, little boy, and read Psalm 81.

Max: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Father God: I recently had conversations with two people who you've hurt. You've been forgiven much. Please stop harming My children, My little son.

Max: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Father God: I love you. I believe in you. I know how I've made you. There is so much that I'm waiting for you to ask for. There is so much that I'm longing to teach you. There is so much that I want you to become. Ahem!! Seriously, pick up your Bible. Psalm 81! Honey from the rock! You're starving! I want to satisfy you!

Max: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Father God: I know what you're about to do. Please, My beloved little boy. Listen to Me!

Max: I thank Thee, oh, my great Father, for the works of Thine hands. I thank Thee for the way that Thou hast madest me.

Father God: (Screams.) Even your King James English is grammatically incorrect! Do you not know that I created language? or that I created speech? or that I created those very lips, that very tongue of yours?

Max: I thank Thee, oh, grand Father in Heaven, for Thy bounty, and now I count my many blessings before Thy heavenly throne, as Thou hast commandest me to do.

Father God: (Screams.) No! Not the clanging cymbal again! Not the noise again!

Max: I thank Thee, oh, merciful heavenly Father, for allowing me to obtain an education in one of the finest institutions that this country hast ever seeneth.

Father God: Stop it, please! Please be quiet! Please open your ears for once and listen to Me! You have no idea how merciful I truly am!

Max: And I thank Thee, oh, my heavenly Father, that I am not like the people in my Sunday School class.

Father God: Quiet! You have allowed yourself to turn into a hypocritical pharisee! You are crippling the people that you're supposed to be equipping! They want to know Me and love Me! To you, I am just a snack machine! Do you not hear Me spewing out the coins that you just deposited? Can you not hear this clanging, deafening cacophony?

Jesus, covering His ears: I can hear it. Father, can he not even tell that You're speaking in his vocabulary range?

Max: I pay my tithe, I read my Bible, and I minister to the needy. Oh, Thou Father of mine, in Thy timing, if it be Thy will...

Father God: Yes, you're doing some of the things that you're supposed to be doing, My beloved little boy, but you don't get it.

Holy Spirit: (Shouts.) Pick up thy Bible, Maximillian, and read Psalm 66, verse 18!

Max: ...please move the heart of Stephanie, so that she would desire me. I wish to have and to hold her someday as my lawfully wedded wife.

Jesus: You gotta be kidding.

Holy Spirit: Nope, he's serious.

Father God, covering His ears: Please! I already told you to stop!

Max: She, as You well know, my Lord, is a ravishing beauty who would suit me very well. She would make a lovely addition to my household someday. She would make a lovely pastor's wife.

Father God: At least you stopped with the King James English. But now you're talking nonsense. Her heart isn't compatible with yours. And if you can't be faithful in handling one Sunday School class, what makes you think I'd give you a pulpit or an entire church to care for? If you don't stop worshiping yourself and your education, if you don't lift up your eyes to see Me and open your ears to hear Me, I will see to it that Stephanie takes your place as Sunday School teacher.

Max: I pray, oh my Lord, that Thou wouldst make her worthy of me someday...

Father God: (Screams.) Stop!

Jesus: I love this guy, but his words are almost as clangy as Tirzah's used to be.

Tirzah: Huh?

Jesus: Hey, squirt. Play Me a song.

Father God: You're a groovy chick.

Tirzah: (Sobs.) You like me?!?

Father God: Come on, play Us a song.

Max: ...and if it be Thy will, I asketh that Thou wouldst grant me children and a reliable vehicle so that I may keep the bulk of my humble income available to giveth to the worthy works of Thy kingdom...

Tirzah: (Gasps.) What would You like to hear?

Holy Spirit: Whatever you want, just as long as it's one of your songs.

Max: ...and in Thy worthy house of worship, may Thy offerings increase, especially in the offering plate on Sunday, and if it be Thy will, may the gardener please remember to trim the hedges this Saturday before our services start this Sunday at 9:45 a.m., or at least perhaps on Sunday afternoon before the evening services commence anew...

Father God: Max, please listen to Me. And please excuse Me. It's time for Me to end what's supposed to be a two-way conversation. I've got a freckled little ipod who's warming up her guitar so that she can sing Me a groovy song. She used to be a lot like you, Max. I'm still healing her and squeezing out a lot of terrible patterns that she's carried for years. Maybe you could meet her someday.

Tirzah: (Gasps.) You wanna hear the groovy song??

Father God: I love you, Max, not because of anything you've done, but because of who I am.

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Also included in these preceding conversations were the nonfictional characters Tirzah, Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Thank you for reading!