Mobiles have changed my life more than almost any other singular invention. This week was a classic case. Work continued even as I tried to escape on vacation. Email proved difficult however with the mobile everyone was within each reach. A quick call to Hong Kong and Singapore aligned the efforts in that part of the world. Calls to India, Amsterdam, and New York covered another set of gaps. Then there was a quick call to Chicago to fill in some missing pieces. By the time I had done all this, my heart was longing for an update from friends.
The ability to reach out to a friend in a Tuscany cooking school while fishing for tuna brought a smile to both of our faces. The evening shared with a friend struggling to understand the death of someone close was a surprise that proved important to both of us. Catching up on the happenings in New York brought a sense of community and belonging to a family, only I missed out on the camping last weekend!
In each case it was one call or a text message that made the difference. While technology was the vehicle it was the relationships on the ends of the line that make all the difference. “Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” (Proverbs 27.9) And our inner beings thirst for friendship and relationship far more than we can ever appreciate or realize.
Conversation with God often seems to be a one-way process for most people. I don’t find it that way. In one reflection I can be sitting with the Divine, sharing what is on my heart. In return I hear echoes of his and her voice. Sometimes it is through nature and the scene right in front of me. On other occasions it is through a bit of the Divine’s expressions recorded in the Psalms or another part of Scripture. And then there are those special moments where God communicates directly.
Feeling the need to talk? It just takes a call.
