Before submitting my article, I always re-read everything that I wrote, of course. And when I read what I recently wrote, I felt like crying, I cried without tears actually (super dry eyes), because I remembered all my conversations with God. I was so touched and happy because I got to experience all those super beautiful encounter with Him. Super WOW! And then I realized that my eyes weren't really dry, there are no tears yet, but moist.. God is great!
Conversations with God
by Maria Kathrina Lopez Yarza
May 9, 2011
Like everyone else, I learned how to pray in my toddler years. I remember kneeling in front of my bed while putting my hands together in prayer position, just like what I would see in picture books and in kiddie shows. I prayed for simple things and prayed for everyone in the family.
In a high school retreat, the facilitator and my religion teacher Sr. Joyce taught us how to talk to God, by pretending that He was just beside us and we could just talk, ask and He would answer. We talked to Him just like how we talk to our friends. We were told to find our own spot in the retreat house and to bring along two chairs, one for ourselves and one for God.
I imagined that God was with me, and I talked to Him like someone who was really close and dear to me. The first thing that I said to Him was “Hi!” Of course He answered with a “Hello!” and that was the start of our conversation.
Sr. Joyce was right! God really does answer because every time I would ask Him something, the answers instantly pop up in my mind.
There was a time when I even asked Him, “Lord, are you really the one who has been giving me the thesis answers?” And then I thought to myself, “Of course. Who else would put those answers in my mind?”, and that was God’s answer to my question.
I remember having some family problems at that time and all I can remember now was how I felt after having confided in Him. It was a great feeling!
I found it effective and comforting that I have been using the method since then. I talk to God whenever I feel like it or I have something to say regardless of where I am.
Best of friends
When we spend a lot of times with someone and talk often, our relationship with that person will eventually become deeper and deeper. Constant communication strengthens relationships and creates positive bonds, and because of my long conversations with God, I feel like our relationship has become deeper and more meaningful. It seems like we are now the best of friends. I feel very at ease talking with Him that I could even tell him jokes. Yes, it is God who I am talking to, my friend who I can tell almost anything to.
Before my surgery last April 11, while waiting outside the operating room, I talked to God and told Him, “Lord, make this surgery a success so that a lot of people will be more aware of how great You are.”
The moment I opened my eyes again, I saw my doctors and nurses wheeling me out of the operating room. It was like God woke me up and told me, “Everything is fine” because the next thing I did was thank my doctors though I did not know yet at that time what the outcome of the operation was, but I felt like it was a success, and it was! I did not feel a single pain nor any discomfort after the surgery. My head did not hurt. I did not feel dizziness. My head was not heavy and I did not vomit.
As I went through a fast recovery, I saw and felt the success of God’s hands. The vision on my right eye improved! That eye used to be almost blind. It can only see a silhouette image. I cannot define colors and shapes. Now, I could do all those things even though images are still blurry due to the scarred cornea. I am also able to see in the dark now even with a minimal source of light. It is a big improvement compared to those times when I was not able to see anything during brownouts with mere candlelight aglow. It is amazing, isn’t it?
On the weekend after the series of those amazing progress from my successful surgery and very quick recovery, my family, together with our relatives, had a thanksgiving dinner to thank the Lord for the amazing things He did for me. We gathered together to thank the Lord for everything He has done for our family. I happily told them how successful my surgery was and how it has been all worth it.
My grandmother and I shared our stories of how we talk to God. We all agreed that the success of my operation was undoubtedly God’s doing.
Praying is talking to God. In order to talk to God effectively, doubt must be banished from the heart. Purity of purpose must reside in the heart. All things are possible with God. None is too small or too big for Him, and it is our faith that brings about the seemingly impossible to happen because prayers with faith move God to give answers, to show men how merciful, how compassionate, how powerful, and how generous and how loving a Father He is. Since God is omnipotent and omnipresent, we can talk to Him anywhere, everywhere, anytime, and every time. He has very good listening ears, hearing even the whispers of the heart, and the groaning of the Spirit within us.
Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, God wants us to talk to Him. But are we too busy in our daily lives to speak some words to Him? God reaches out and speaks to us in many various ways. But are we hearing them?
His Son Jesus taught us to “Pray unceasingly.” And He said: “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened.” How true. When we ask, seek, and knock, it means we want an audience with God. It means we want a real relationship with God. And I believe a real relationship always starts with a good exchange of talk. That is how my real relationship with God started.
I praise and thank God now and for always.
The picture that I attached on the article is with my family (Lopez side). We may have different religions (Catholic, Methodist, Born Again, Iglesia ni Cristo) but what matters is we all believe and talk to the same God. I got this quote from Abhie (basta I remember this seeing in your fb wall, I just revised it a bit): "Our faith doesn't rely on what our religion is, but with what's in our hearts."
Add'l: The Lord is my friend and of course I still & always look up to Him as our Father & Creator. Forever. I beleive that if we are friends with our parents & family, our relationship would be deeper & we are more comfortable with telling them & talking about everything, right? I'm not saying that we should all be doing what I am doing; I am just sharing my encounters with Him & how those things happened.. :)
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