Turn Down The TV

I work for a homecare company, so I spend most of my day on the phone talking to hospitals, physician's offices, and elderly patients. There are several of us in a small area, and it's not too hard to overhear my coworkers on the phone, like the conversation (or one side of it) I heard the other day.

"You can't hear me? Well, the volume on my phone is all the way up." (Speaks louder) "You still can't hear me?" (Now, practically shouting) "I'm sorry ma'am, I can't talk any louder. Do you think you could turn your TV down?"

We all couldn't help but crack up. I've been there too. Having to speak as loud as you possibly can to someone who has kids screaming or the TV blaring in the background as they continue to ask, "What? What did you say?" All the while I'm thinking, Why in the world did you call me if you're too distracted to talk?

How many times have I done that to God? Called on His name, asked Him for wisdom or guidance or help, at the same time having a thousand other things going on in the background and wondering why I can't get an answer from Him.

Maybe He's talking and I'm just drowning Him out by so much other noise in my life that He can't be heard.

Because I know the truth. I know what His Word promises, that if anyone asks for wisdom He gives freely. That He hears every word I say, He knows what's on my heart. That He answers prayer. That He loves me so much that He wants to be a part of and the center of everything I do and say and everything I am.

So why is it that when I don't hear from Him I blame Him? Is God, after gazillions of years of being faithful and true and perfect, suddenly going to mess it up when it comes to answering me? Do I somehow really believe that God answers every other person but me? Maybe I need to use the old breakup clich�, "It's not You, it's me." It's not You, God, who's not paying attention, it's me. It's not You God who's got so much else going on that You're ignoring me, it's me who's ignoring You. It's me who's not quieting down the distractions enough to focus on You.

And if I turn down the TV I might just realize that He's been speaking the whole time.

Emily