Upgrading!

Can you imagine what it was like using the first telephones?  It was exciting to be able to talk with someone over a “phone” line but it was somewhat challenging in the beginning because the reception was fuzzy and unclear.  For the first users of this new experience, they would need to hire a contractor to run a line from their home to wherever they wanted to make a connection, typically the office at work.  The same would apply to connecting with other family or friends.  It was a one-to-one connection.   At first these phones had no bells to alert someone that you wanted to talk with them.  Actually, you whistled through the line to get their attention.  Eventually the bell was introduced when the exchange was implemented.  The phone system technology was upgraded when exchanges were established and allowed for connecting to other users eliminating the exclusive one-to-one wiring requirement.  The hand crank was your bell ringer.

To make a long story short, we know enhancements continued and what started as a simple fuzzy communication tool over time became a multi-faceted, much clearer source of communication.  Making a quantum leap from the 1800’s to today, we know communication tools now even allow for visual transmission along with the audio which has dramatically enhanced our remote communication experience. 

Where am I going with this bit of history?

As clear communication (not just by phone) is a critical aspect of growing relationships with each other, so it is with our relationship with God.

Maybe our relationship with God is simply based on the obligation of going to church on Sunday.  Maybe it simply is shooting up a flare, “Help me Lord” when we are in trouble.  Maybe it is greater than that but still not as clear as we would like.  His response to us may be received at first like those fuzzy transmissions of the early telephone.  It was not that the transmission of the message was unclear.  It was the receiving of the message that was fuzzy.  If that is our experience today then maybe our relationship with God is also in its infancy stages as well.  Expanding our prayer life with an earnest desire to enrich our relationships may be the next step, maybe the upgrade that we need.

Like the communication devices of today one new enhancement often causes us to desire the next upgrade.  Similarly, each step towards developing a better relationship with God causes us to want to be even nearer to Him.

At one time I traveled a great deal and had a very busy life at home and at work.  I had a prayer life but in hindsight I now know it too was in an infancy state.  You might say that I upgraded it a bit when I would occasionally listen to Christian music or listen to Catholic talk shows on the radio while driving.  There was an EWTN radio station on the west side of the state and an Ave Maria station on the East side.  I need positive energy and a lot of what was on other radio stations was far from that so I started to change what I was listening to on the radio.  What I heard on those two networks caused me to internalize more on the Catholic messaging to which I was listening.  It was the type of influence I needed to positively affect my quality of life and I started to pay closer attention to what we actually prayed and sang at Mass.  The upgrading of my prayer life and relationship with God continued as I decided to put a greater emphasis on my prayer time with God.  His voice and messaging became clearer and clearer as time went on.  I found that I started to hear Him more clearly as I listened more attentively and intentionally. 

We need to take to heart the words of our songs of praise, the prayers of the Mass, Scripture, and times of meditation.  The more places we listen for His voice the more we hear and hunger for clearer communication with Him. Internally our Spiritual Communications skills are being upgraded because of His downloading His revelations to us.  It is said the best conversationalists are those who dominate the listening.  God certainly has that down.  Now it is our turn to spend quality time with Him and to hear His voice and to receive those upgrades and gifts He has planned for us.  He is waiting for us.  Upgrading our communications with God will bring us greater joy and a greater hunger for more of Him.  It is said that when we open the door inviting Christ within, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me.  Joy filled for sure.

Let us Shine Like the Son and continue the upgrading.  God bless you.