Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him Whisper words of love into your heart? When you’re worried or confused, wouldn’t you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?

 A common saying most people hear sometime in their life is, “It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint“. Maybe they are relating it to running, school, or business; but it can be applied in all of these contexts. With most things in life it is necessary to look at the present and how it will impact the future. If we run all out now, how is that going to affect us next month, next quarter? So keep running if you’re a runner, studying if you’re still in school, or building and selling at work.

When I was 5 years old in the evil country called Iraq they took my father to prison , a political prisoner in Iraq is worse than a criminal prison in third world country , full with torture to break your spirit ,if you lucky to live.

I used to ask my Mother why my dad in prison? She used to say that because he always asks the wrong question and challenge the authority for human rights. I didn’t know what that means t that time; I thought all human were equal and that God created us to help each other.

What can I do mom to see him out of the prison, I asked my mom.

Pray to God son, pray to God like I do every day so God can help him out and be with us one day, my mother replied.

OK Mom I will pray to God now, I used to say that while running to bring my dad black and white old picture and run upstairs at the patio.

Where you are going son, my mother asked.

To pray to God mom upstairs so he can see me and hear me better, I replied.

Mother used to Lough and say he can hear you and see you here too my son.

 I used to look at the sky thinking that God way beyond the stars and then start praying and ask God to help my father and then flip the black and white picture to God to show him so he know my dad, this is my father God this is his picture, I use to show him and ask him to help and run down stairs and tell my mother.

God do not need picture my son he knows about you and me, about your father and where he is, mother said

I don’t think so mother, how could he know, he never saw him, I had to show him the picture to make sure. I replied

God can hear you and see you even if you pray here he is listening to us every second and everywhere, my mother told me

I used to think of God like a giant person with millions of eyes and ears who lives way up in the sky. I used to look at the sky and the stars and use a magnifying glass to look for God, my brother and I used to take turn and look into the magnifying glass in search of God.

My mother used to tell us that he lives in us, he is a light and spirit, but we didn’t understand what she is talking about and I used keep searching for him using my magnifying glass.

When the telephone service first started and my mother explain the principle behind it was like a magic to hear a voice of a person coming from the small telephone. I used to sit and watch the phone until it rings and run to call my friend’s mother as I used to go to his house and play and they have the phone. I used to ask her If God returned my call , she used to lough.

Mom why we don’t get the phone, I asked

We cannot afford it now, and why you want a phone son, mother said.

I want to phone God mom, how I can get his phone number, I replied.

My son, God has no phone he is not human, I told you he can hear and see us without a phone.

But he is God, how can he be a God and has no phone? I asked

I told you he can listen to you and his phone is your prayers. She said.

So I used to close my eyes when I pray to God and imagine myself dialing the phone G.O.D ad the letter numbers dial and then I make sound like a phone ring, ring and then pray to God to help my father and go to sleep and say to my mom I will call God tomorrow mom I think he is busy talking to other people.

Before I sleep I turn to my mom and say. Mom I feel sorry for God.

Why you feel sorry for him my son, she said

Because my ear itches some times and God have so many ears so he must have so many itches in his ears poor God. I said, while my mother Lough and turn of the light. God night son, she replies with giggle in her voice.

When my dad was released from the prison, I thought wow God finally listen to my calls, my prayers.

Love of God  is a marathon, sometimes when people get into relationships they want the house, husband/wife, kids, dog. cars, and yet they don’t breath, grow, and learn with their partners and how they are in relationships, in fact they try sprinting and they get tired out and move to the next relationship because they are exhausted, impatient, and in blame mode about the expectations their partners didn’t meet. Or God didn’t answer you fast.

Same with our faith in God it must be in growing mode , reading and learning his scripts and commandments , trying our best to be in toned with him and honest with our life and with him, pray to him and call him , repent and be strong believers despite the devil way to take us out of his way some times.

When we stop trying because God didn’t answer our prayers, calls or wishes we let the devil win as God reply on his own time. We have to understand that because we are not listening and not in tone with him that we cannot hear his voice in our heart.

 Love God is a marathon, meaning things come up, thing arises, and adjustments need to be made to be closer to him.

 In a country with divorce, dropping lovers each week, speed dating, wanting it now, internet dating, quick fix society living, we miss that love is a marathon. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Loving our God almighty is a marathon.

We have to slow approach the learning of the holy books until we get in-depth knowledge to reach the level of wisdom that we can handle to go about our daily living.

We must learn to appreciate rather than criticize, love rather than judge, hug, touch, and feel rather than hide, escape, and run. Be honest, kind, and when you’re wrong admit it, and when you’re right shut up, don’t rub it in. Repent and ask God for forgiveness, we’re sinners and always make mistakes but God door is open for forgiveness. God don’t have wax in his ears or itchy ear , he can hear us so clear so call his name now deep inside your heart let him know that you want to call him and his rings will be near , the holy spirit will dwell in your heart .

A relationship with God like a marathon is a process of learning, growing, and appreciating life and God blessing in every step of your life good and bad.

Just because life is a marathon, doesn’t mean you should be slow! So speed up your call to strengthen your faith in him.

Steve Ramsey, PhD.

Calgary, Alberta – Canada.