When You Wonder If God Tires of Listening: Promise of Christmas
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Matthew 7:11
My weary body screamed for rest, but here in front of me sat my son, recently back from his first semester of college. He wanted to talk into the early morning hours; I wanted to sleep. But there was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity to connect.
My son wanted my time and insight. He wanted to be with me. He valued our time together.
Parental Love
I want to be there for my children, to hear their dreams, celebrate their accomplishments, support them through their failures, and help them process their decisions. No matter how many times they come, I want to be there.
It was the same with my parents. I always knew they would be there if I needed (or just wanted) someone to talk to. No matter how many times I went to them.
When You Wonder
So why am I sometimes hesitant to go to God with my needs and wants? Why do I question whether He’s tired of hearing the same old petitions from me? Why do I ever doubt he’ll listen?
If I have that desire to spend time in conversation with my children as the imperfect parent I am, how much more will God want to be with me and hear from me?!
He is Immanuel, God With Us. He left heaven to assume a human body, suffer, and die so He could re-establish a relationship with us.
Maybe you didn’t have loving, attentive parents. Maybe you don’t know what it’s like to converse freely and vulnerably with a parent. Then again maybe you have loving, supportive family like me yet still find yourself tentative in going to God.
God With Us
In either case, when you wonder if God tires of hearing from you, let me assure you, as the perfect Father, God is always “all ears.” He promises to always be there for His children. He desires a relationship with us, with you. He wants to hear from us.
This God With Us, He’s here now, in the midst of us.
Waiting.
Welcoming.
Listening.
Responding.
God is with us, here, now, in the midst of us. Waiting. Welcoming. Listening. Responding. Let's Celebrate! Click To Tweet
Christmas Reason to Celebrate
He is the Baby bringing the light of hope into a dark world. He is the Man, eating and drinking, sharing laughter and life with his disciples. He is the Sacrificial Lamb, giving of His life to establish forever a relationship with His Father.
He willingly came to earth as a baby because He heard us. He willingly suffered and died because He cared.
This Immanuel, God With Us, He is who we celebrate at Christmas. And He never tires of hearing from and spending time with you.
Immanuel, God With Us, is who we celebrate at Christmas. He never tires of hearing from and spending time with you. Click To Tweet
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Indeed, that’s one of the beautiful promises of Christmas.
Reflection: How has your past shaped your image of a God of relationship?
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23
Since beginning over 3 years ago, I’ve counted more than 3,000 gifts in Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare! What a blessing! So here we go: #3450–3470, read my entire list by clicking here.
- Sweet treats to snack on through long work days; Another wonderful Christmas concert at our high school; People who don’t just tolerate Rach but truly love her…um…overexuberance
- Well-handled disastrous attempt at decorating the first of our two Christmas trees–complete with lessons from the younger set on what matters most; Manageable slower-paced day; Rekindled interest in crafting with Rach
- Two of my men took our fallen down Christmas tree and made it beautiful while I was gone; Christmas shopping with my youngest guy; First of the Christmas gifting joy
- Watching Joey play trumpet in a wonderful middle school Christmas concert; Purchasing the quantities of food that suggest my boys will be home!; Zachary’s first college finals are over, home tomorrow (Friday)!
- Zachary home safely from college; Christmas lights finally up at the house; Blessing of the entire family being together for 3 weeks!
- Beginning of our family Christmas at the barn; Grand tree up and decorated; All six of us goofs ending up in a heap on the floor thanks to Rachel–can you find the four kids here?
- Wonderful children’s Christmas program at church; Lunch out with the kids; Gift exchange and an evening of games
By His grace ≈ Julie
Find hope in your real-life struggles. We'll chase it together! I am a wife; mom of 4 (including a young adult daughter with special needs); miscarriage mom of 5; author & follower of Jesus Christ. I write, edit, speak and enjoy everything outdoors.
Julie: Enjoy your time with your children. Those times go by too fast. Let me see if I got this right. Do you put up multiple trees? I couldn’t begin to sort out the people in the heap. But it looks like you had fun.
Thank you, Cecelia. We do enjoy our time together. We have a smaller tree in our house and then put a large one in a barn/loft-cabin we built on some land we own (where the “heap” photo was taken). We celebrate our Christmas with the kids there.
I know our time with the children is short as our oldest graduates from college in 2016. One more full Christmas break and perhaps a summer together, then we’ll see where he ends up.