Speaker Phone
Dan Kunz
How do you feel about being put on “speaker phone”? If the person to whom you’re speaking wants to share what you have to say, or if a number of people want to speak to you, that’s fine. Another use of the speaker phone option is, however, a pet peeve of mine. A friend of mine, I’ll call him Bill, almost always puts me on speaker phone when I call him. When he calls me, he very seldom has me on speaker phone. I think I know why. If he calls me, his sole purpose is to have a conversation, to see how I’m doing, what I’ve been up to, what plans I may have for the weekend, and so on. When I call him, he is most likely doing something. He seldom sits around. The result is that I’m trying to carry on a conversation with a guy who is obviously busy doing something - too busy to stop what he’s doing and talk to me. I’ve listened to him eating breakfast, building a table in his workshop, and changing the oil in his car. It’s unbelievable how loud a spoon scooping cereal out of a ceramic bowl is!
Obviously, I’m only getting part of Bill’s attention. It’s frustrating and frequently requires repeating things because Bill didn’t really hear what I said or wasn’t really listening. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t use a speaker phone? When you talk to him, you have his undivided attention! He’s really listening, and he really cares what you have to say! Fortunately, because he’s God, he can do so for an unlimited number of people at the same time. We can’t, but he can. Why? Because he is our kind, loving Heavenly Father and he wants to know what’s on our mind, what we need, or what’s troubling us.
Just as an earthly parent gives his or her child complete attention, our Heavenly Father does the same. It doesn’t matter whether the issue is large or small, he wants to know. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you talked to him today or the twentieth, he’s eager to listen.
Sometimes I don’t call Bill because I’m afraid he’s too busy to listen. Although God has way more to do than Bill, he’s never too busy. He is literally running the entire universe, but he’ll listen to us. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to stop what he’s doing, but that’s what makes him God, of course. He’s the ultimate “multi-tasker”!
God loves it when we talk to him and he will not put us on speaker phone – even if he’s eating breakfast! Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come to pray to me, and I will listen to you. Philippians 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let you requests be made know to God.