(Originally posted on the website Continuum…)

THIS ENTRY is from an email I received from my friend, Greg. I thought it was worth posting it for others to enjoy.

Here’s what Greg wrote:

This is the text of a conversation I had with my 12 year old son Ben this morning. It may not be word for word, but it is accurate to the best of my recollection.

We were hiking down the Appalachian trail near Pochuk Mountain just after first light because I had to leave the scout patrol to get to work at 10 AM. It was just the two of us coming down the mountain on a very cold Autumn morning, with the smell of the decaying leaves heavy all around us, and the colors in the trees as brilliant as any I’ve ever seen.

Our conversation ran thus:

Ben: “Dad, when we get to heaven, do we get to see God?”

Dad: “Yes, we do.”

Ben: “Do we get to talk to Him, too?”

Dad: “We sure do, any time we want.”

Ben: “Really? Cause He’s like, a busy guy.”

Dad: I laughed and said, “Yes, He is a busy guy. But He can talk to me and you and a bunch of other people at the same time.”

Ben: “But doesn’t He get confused?”

Dad:”No, God never gets confused.”

Ben: “So He’s sort of like moms, then.”

Dad:”Yes, moms can do 3 or 4 things at the same time, but God can do, like, a million things at the same time. But the best part is that even though He’s doing a million things, He never gets confused, He never loses His patience, and He always gives you His full attention, even if He has to wait for you.”

Ben: “Why would He have to wait?”

Dad:”Maybe you’re trying to think of what to say.”

Ben: “How long will He wait?”

Dad:”As long as you want. And He’ll never get impatient, and He’ll never get distracted, and He’ll never get confused.”

Ben: “That’s pretty cool.”

Dad:”Yes, that is pretty cool.”

It happened to be Sunday morning, and although we were not in Church, it was as satisfying and encouraging an experience as I have had at any Church during the past year. Satisfying because it confirmed that I have an influence in his life in spite of all the obstacles and distractions, in spite of the fact that I am not able to take him with me to Church regularly, and given a choice, he would often rather stay with his mom than come to Church with me. But surprisingly, he has an eye for spiritual truth, and seems comfortable coming to me with questions like these. Perhaps God is doing a work in his heart after all. Perhaps my prayers are not in vain.

Whoever is reading this, thank you for sharing in my joy, and if you are also willing to pray for Ben, thank you for that as well. I do believe that our God hears our prayers, and sometimes that’s the one thing that makes all the difference.