God speaks to me – just as I speak to my children.
My children are teenagers. And, so, the time has come for me to start leaving them at home alone for short periods of time.
This is an important step in any child’s life (and important for their parents as well). You see, it marks a significant moment of independence for the children. And the most important thing for children is that they are raised to become independent. There is really no point in allowing children to get to an age where they are approaching adulthood and are still so heavily reliant on their parents that they are unable to cope in the world at large…
One of the first things that needs to happen before children can be left on their own, is that trust needs to be established… Parents need to trust that their children will make the right decisions and children need to trust that their parents will attend to their needs, even though they cannot see them right there in that moment. And this takes an awful lot of communication. Firstly, parents communicate their expectations to their children – and this occurs over a long period of time starting from when the children are babies, with rules like, “Do not talk to strangers.” Or, “Look after one another.” Then children communicate to parents when they make mistakes. This could look like, “Mum, my brother took my toy.” And – probably after some explanation and negotiation with the offender – “I am sorry Mum, I hit my brother and took his toy.” “I am sorry, brother, for taking your toy and hitting you.”
And I have been thinking about this over the last few days. You see, this communication is – in my mind – critical for the success of any relationship. And not only that – it is at the CENTRE of my relationship with God, and with yours too…
God is our Eternal Parent. He instructs us – from the moment of our conception and through the institution of the Holy Catholic Church – on what He expects of us. And He provides us with parents and families and Saints and Angels to continue to instruct us through word and deed. And – knowing that we have received His message – He leaves us home alone for a little while, while we are on Earth. And just as my children can use their phone to call me in the case of an emergency – or even if they are worried about something while they are waiting for me to return – so too can I call on my Beloved through prayer…
And He speaks to me – just as I speak to my children. He does this through the things He says directly – through the teachings of the Church – and through the things that I know are good and right and just, which He instils into my heart.
And when I think about the efforts that God has gone through for me, I am simply overcome. For He is in constant communication with me while I await His return to take me home…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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