Have you ever wondered what it would actually be like for God to say “Hello” to you? Like actually in front of your face, just saying, “Hello.”
As a Christian it can sometimes feel frustrating knowing what we know and feeling what we feel, but just wanting to see and hear for ourselves. In the way we are familiar with seeing and hearing things, imagine the relief that one word from Him would provide us. To see God in front of us, and to hear Him say “Hello”.
Imagine getting your coffee and turning around and there He is.
You bump into him, and He just looks at you and says, “Hello”. Or you’re out for your run and as you approach the walker up ahead, it’s God, and He says “Hello”. Or, you’re early to an event, and then there’s God, just sitting there welcoming you. And he says, “Hello”. At the bus stop, in the shopping aisle, heck, sitting at the end of your bed when you wake up in the morning. Just, “Hello”.
How would that truly feel? Have you ever wondered?
In His own way
Well, I feel, and maybe you do too, that God says “Hello” all the time. And importantly, these ways I just suggested are all from the human perspective of how God’s “Hello” could be heard. Because that’s how we are familiar with seeing and hearing. But He is beyond that.
The other day before work, I was sitting along the waterfront. As I sat there, I saw a number of people, one after the other, stop and take a photo of the harbour sun-lit by the rising, golden morning sun. And I thought to myself, “that’s God”.
Whether they were Christians or not, who am I to know? But in those moments, those people were in awe. Their mornings were paused, they were staring out over His beauty, and they decided to capture a snapshot of it. That’s God’s creation, and for that moment, on that morning, that was God saying “Hello”.
How else?
So, how else could God be saying “Hello”? Well, to answer that would be putting a limit on the very possibilities themselves. The fact is, you nor I can answer that question. And I make that claim with anticipation, rather than dissatisfaction.
God is God. He is in and beyond all things we can imagine. Therefore, the ways in which He says “Hello” to us are endless - to those who believe, or not. The green light in traffic, the door being held open, that phone call from our friend, even a delicious meal or that smile on the kid’s face. God is saying. “Hello”. In that one minute when you pause and pull away from whatever is stressing you out, in that moment, He says “Hello”.
Listen Out
I’m not saying it’s easy to listen out. No one claims it’s easy to discern God’s voice. Because it isn’t. But it can be heard, it can be discerned and He is speaking. Sometimes our situations take a hold of us to the point where even attempting to look or listen feels challenging. But God says “Hello”.
Sometimes we don’t recognise any of this and feel frustrated that we aren’t hearing Him. He still says, in many, many ways, “Hello”, “Hello”, “Hello”. And if the thought of Him saying “Hello” makes you feel a bit anxious (or, like myself, giddy) and you wouldn’t know how to proceed. That’s okay, but He still wants to say “Hello”.
He’s always saying “Hello”
You don’t need to bump into him at the coffee shop, or pass him on a run, or rock up to an event hopeful that He is the first to greet you. Just chill, just pause, just look around and listen out. Because He sees you, and in more ways than we could possibly imagine, He’s saying “Hello”.
And maybe, if you feel up to it, I encourage you to say “Hello” back, and see where the conversation can go.