A friend objects: Can’t God do any or all of those things you listed yesterday? If God is all-powerful, then why couldn’t that be the case?
I suppose God could. That’s not the real issue.
A few weeks ago, Sweets handed me several pieces of torn rubbery plastic “Polly Pocket” clothing and asked, “Daddy, can you fix this?” I looked at the pieces and realized there wasn’t any hope. I did what most Dads do. I told her I’d try. I added that I wasn’t sure that anything could be done. She’s approaching nine and is becoming aware that even if it’s somehow possible, her Dad has limited skills. She’s young enough that she doesn’t hold that against me. Yet. Time was, when she truly believed that I could find a way to repair most things. She’d look at me with puppy eyes, present what needed repair, and say, “Daddy?” I would do what I could to meet her requirements. Often I prevailed upon the gods of Target, Walmart and Amazon, along with the angel Google, to achieve the desired result.
If the way God is present in your life is to rescue you from situations where you didn’t plan, or use your time well. If your primary act of faith is that you turn to God the way my daughter used to turn to me? Then God is someone you’re using to meet your needs. A Super-man, not the one we ask to “make us true servants.”
Make us true servants to all those in need , filled with compassion
in thought word and deed: loving our neighbor, whatever the cost,
feeding the hungry and finding the lost.Lord, make us prophets to cry out the way, telling the nations of
mercy’s new day. Let us break barriers of hatred and scorn,
speaking of hope to all people for lorn.Lord, make us healers of body and mind; give us your power to
bring sight to the blind; Love to the love- less and gladness for pain,
Filling all hearts with the joy of your name.
~ Susan G Wente
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