Never Muted

"Grandma, you're on mute. You have to tap the little microphone icon to turn your sound on," ten-year-old Samara instructed her grandmother over the video call. "I can see your mouth moving but I don't know what you're saying," Samara said in frustration. She was eager to tell her grandmother about her dance recital. "Let me call you back and see if that will turn your microphone on." She ended the call then tapped the video call button again. After a few rings, her grandmother picked back up."Can you hear me now? I think it's working this time," Grandma said. "Yes! I can hear you! Grandma, did you see the video Mom sent you of me dancing?" "Oh yes, you were wonderful, honey! I can't believe how well you can dance!" Grandma and Samara talked for nearly an hour about her recital, and at the end Samara was so happy she could share her experience with her grandmother even though she didn't live nearby.She tangoed into the kitchen and gave Mom her phone back. "I heard you had some trouble hearing Grandma at first. I bet she was frustrated when you couldn't hear her," Mom commented as she worked on her computer."Yeah, it was hard to talk when I couldn't even hear her!" Samara said as she nibbled on a snack."That reminds me of you the other night, when you didn't want to pray because you thought God couldn't hear you. But prayer works a lot better than a video call! God always hears you when you pray." Mom always found a way to make a lesson out of anything.Samara thought about that, then said, "But what about everyone else praying? I bet He gets pretty busy listening to everybody's prayers.""Because He is infinite, God has the ability to hear all their prayers and yours too." Mom clapped her laptop shut. "God is never too busy to listen to your prayers, Samara. He loves you--He sent Jesus to die for your sins so you could be His child forever! He's not far away from you like Grandma is--He's always with you. You can talk to Him anytime." Mom gave Samara a hug. "So, do you think you'll try talking to God again?"Samara nodded. "Yeah, now I know God will always hear me!" -Dylan Kraayenbrink