He never says goodbye

Ruth is a bright young woman in our church who has cerebral palsy. She communicates through an electronic voice synthesiser. Because of her impaired ability to control her hand movements, it’s quite time consuming for her to say anything. Maybe this explains why she has developed an unusual ability to say a lot with so very few words.

I first discovered this gift when visiting Ruth in her home recently, along with Dorothy, who helps lead the life group that Ruth belongs to. I have to say I’m impressed with the quality of care and the dedication of the people who support Ruth in living semi-independently. But inevitably a feature of her life is that people come and go. We were chatting about her story, and I asked her what God meant to her. She thought for a few seconds, and then went to work on her keypad. When it came, her answer completely undid me. She said “He is the One who never says goodbye.”

I could talk for half an hour and say a lot less.

Now here’s the thing. I’m what you might call a “hurry up” kind of person. I get impatient waiting for things. If someone has something to say I like them to get to the point quickly. With Ruth, I have to be willing to wait a while. But I’ve learned it’s worth the wait.

It strikes me that this is true not just of Ruth. It can take time to hear what someone really wants to say. Facts are relatively easy to ascertain; truth can take a little longer. But it’s so much more powerful.

And then there’s God. Just one word from him can change the whole course of my life. But if I’m always in a hurry I’ll miss what he has to say. I think I need to learn to slow down and wait a while.

However,next week I’m off skiing in Switzerland with some friends! I’ll slow down when I get back....