Telephone Conversations

As women of a certain age, we often find our conversations drifting to discussion of health. We share our experiences.  When useful, we recommend doctors and discuss prescriptions. I used to hate  having those conversations. Now it seems inevitable that some concerns about health will surface in our chats. Instead of dreading those moments, I make mental notes. Who knows when I will need to use or give advice?

We do not shrink from the hard topics of life. Sometimes I need a little push. I want to hold back. Then, I dive in. Who can I trust?  Sadly, some folks I don't trust.   Thankfully, God has given me the gift of a few trusted friends.

As our telephone chat  begins to wind down, God guides our talk. We share  from God's word. Then I look up a verse… Then my friend reads from her Bible.  What is talking so long? She explains, "My Bible is in Latin." She takes a moment then shares.

 As I share my heart…missed opportunities, miscommunication, failures, and missteps. God gently reminds me of examples from the Bible.  I am reminded of God faithfulness and promise of forgiveness. We trust God’s infallible word. We end our conversation with verses from the book of Romans… these  comforting words are for Christians.

Romans 8:34-39

New Living Translation (NLT)

34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.