Once upon a time, there was this girl. Using a random name generator, we'll say her name was Sonya. (Really. No relation to having read Crime and Punishment. That's what the random name generator gave me.) Sonya was new to high school. And all the buzz was about this guy: His name, according to the random name generator, was Travis. Travis Wrenn, actually, but I didn't really want a last name in there.
It appeared that Travis was a really, truly wonderful young man. Being friends with him didn't necessarily make you popular, but being friends with him meant you knew what you were doing. He was the most loyal friend anyone could ask for. He made an effort to know everyone, and to know them well. He seemed to have an infinite amount of time at his disposal, as it was difficult to believe that he had the time to be such close friends with so many people. People either loved him, hated him, or couldn't care less. No one merely "liked" Travis; and the people who hated him, well, they were the sort of people you want to avoid in high school anyway. Travis had a way of making those he came in contact with feel special, important, needed. Being friends with Travis changed people -- and always for the better.
And Travis showed immediate interest in getting to know Sonya. Having heard Travis's reputation, Sonya was delighted, and she gushed to her friends about how honored she felt, and how she couldn't wait to see how her friendship with Travis would develop.
Therefore, it greatly surprised Sonya's friends when she turned down every opportunity she was offered to spend time with Travis. He offered to help her with her Algebra homework, invited her to church, asked her to come to a party at his house. But every time, he was rejected. Sonya had different priorities. She always had a perfectly good excuse -- someone needed to talk, she had too much homework, she had already committed to going to the movies with her friends. But Sonya had seemed so excited about this friendship, that it was really shocking how often she rejected Travis's offers of company.
Finally, Sonya couldn't stand it any longer. She exclaimed to her friends, "I just don't understand it! I've been here an entire semester, and I barely know this Travis guy. I mean sure, I've talked with him sometimes, and I wave back at him when he waves in the hallway. But is that what everyone's talking about? I don't get why we haven't become great friends! Does he not like me or something?"
It seems ridiculous that anyone could be this blind and ridiculous. But I am. I get caught up in my little world and everything I have to do: Study for that history test, practice for that upcoming performance, make signs for Prom. And then I wonder, Gosh, God. Why haven't You been changing me and shaping me? I haven't learned anything recently!
Too often, I think we forget that knowing God is just like knowing anyone else. It requires time. He makes every effort to invite us into His presence, but we offer up excuse after excuse. We have different priorities. But then we get frustrated when knowledge of God and what He desires to teach us doesn't magically spring up in the two minutes we give Him every day.
It takes years to really get to know someone. Think how much longer it takes to get to know Someone whose character is infinite. Are you willing to put in the time? Not necessarily the effort; the only effort that is required is to clear our lives and come sit at the feet of Christ. But that's all. He's eager to love you. He's eager to teach you. And He's waiting.
Will you come?
