Friday, March 7, 2008

How Will they Know Series

Matthew 6:9 “This is how you should pray……”

 

E.T. Phone Home

 

In the early 1980’s there was a huge hit movie entitled “E.T.”  It was about a strange little space alien dubbed E.T. who was accidentally left on earth by his companions.   He befriended a human boy named Elliot and learned to speak English.   If memory serves me the first phrase that the little alien communicates to his friend is, “E.T. phone home.”  Even after all these years I can remember a whole range of emotions at how the little creature wanted to return to his world.  

 

I think about times I have been separated from my family and was so happy to be able to phone Averette and the girls and talk to them.   My wife and children have always meant so much to me and I loved talking to them, especially when I’m in another city.  Just to be able to talk to ‘home’ always makes me feel better.    I think of Dorothy in another great movie tapping her red slippers together and saying, “There’s no place like home.”

 

This community feels like home.  When I drive in my driveway and get to see my very own weeds and then go inside my house and sit down with my stuff and visit with my family I feel like I am home.  

 

But the truth is this home on earth is fleeting.   The only real home is with God.  I believe in life we often feel from time to time longing for this other destination.   So many of the elderly have said, “I have more relationships in the next life than I do in this.”   My mom talks about her friends who have died and with every death of her old buddies I sense her desire for the next life over this one.  

 

The greatest relationship of our life and the most permanent is our relationship with God.  I think God must want to give us the same message, “Phone home!”, because He needs to talk to us.   We definitely need to talk to Him.   His words of wisdom and power are so important.  The great thing is we don’t have to use a cell phone to talk to God.  All we have to do is take a moment and pray and ask Him to help us.  

 

The other day Christina suddenly stopped returning phone calls.    I knew in my mind everything was OK.   She had told me she was working on a number of papers and had several upcoming tests.   I had called and left some rather mild messages until finally I said on her voicemail, “Christina, CALL YOUR FATHER!”   I’m sure God wants to say the same thing to all of us from time to time.  

 

We need to take time each day to talk to God, to not miss His words of wisdom and strength.  It is easy to find ourselves away from our true home and missing the most important relationship of our lives.  

 

In the end E.T. made it home.   That will happen for each one of us and then we will belong like we have never belonged in the past. Our home will be with God.   But in the meantime, it is important that we all phone home to God.  

 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me not to forget to talk to you.  Amen.