Keep the Conversation Going by Jen Petersen

Keep the Conversation Going March 14, 2019 Read: James 5:13-15 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. (v. 13) For many years now, my college roommate and I have been getting together once a week for bagels and coffee. We spend a little over an hour talking about what’s happening in our lives. There have been times when our gatherings have been filled with the struggles we’re facing or the grief we’re experiencing. Other times we laugh together at the antics of our children or share our accomplishments with one another. There have been seasons when one or the other of us has been especially busy or when we haven’t been able to make our schedules line up. When this happens, and we go weeks without talking, I feel her absence and I’m always grateful when we can reconnect. Setting aside regular time to be together has become an important part of our relationship. We don’t just call each other when we need help or only find time to hang out when life feels easy. We’re committed to staying invested in each other’s lives. Our relationship with God needs the same kind of investment. To be in regular communication with God, we need to set aside time—make it a priority. That way we don’t only remember to turn to God when we need something. Or we don’t brush aside our time with God when life is stressful, and we feel like we have too much going on. —Jen Petersen As you pray, ask God where you could make more space in your life to talk to him.