Left on Read

It happened to me just the other morning. I received a WhatsApp message that I didn’t know how to respond to. While I was stressing about my answer, I also stressed that the other party would see the message had been read and make all sorts of assumptions about why I hadn’t answered.

Suddenly it hit me. So often I am that person. I throw my messages heavenward, pleading for help, begging for answers, just letting God know I’m struggling, and then return later that day to see those messages just sitting on read. No answers, no responses, and sometimes those checkmarks still look gray instead of switching to blue.
 
When I read the message this morning, I understood what had been said. I also knew the reasons. The power of the answer lay completely with me. The person on the other end didn’t  understand the process I was planning. They had no idea about the bigger picture. But I did.
 
And so does God.
 
When I am the person whose message is left on read, I sometimes imagine why the other person isn’t responding. Is it because the toddler just spilled a bag of flour on the floor? Were they in the middle of cleaning the shower? Maybe they needed to ask someone else a question in relation to their response. Often, though, my mind comes up with negative reasons as I sit, chewing my nails, waiting to see them start typing. I surmise they are trying to find the right words to say no, that they are frustrated, or that they misunderstood my intent.
 
So often it is tempting to believe the same of God. When we’re not getting answers, when we’re not even sure He’s seen the message, we start coming up with all sorts of negative ideas. “He doesn’t care,” “He doesn’t have a plan for this situation,” “He’s forgotten me.”
 
These kinds of thoughts are a tremendous tool of the devil, placing a wedge between me and the only source that truly offers help and consolation. We must start by believing that all our messages, sent in sincere honesty, get through and that He lovingly reads each one. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. (1 John 5:14)
 
Maybe He doesn’t answer right away. Maybe He sees we have more to learn of trust, of patience, of longsuffering, of humility, of acceptance. Maybe He’s working on the problem from an angle we can’t see. But we have to believe that He’s present.
 
You’ve probably read messages on WhatsApp before without opening the app. Sometimes I don’t want to feel pressured into an answer, so I leave it looking like it hasn’t been seen while I ponder my response. God doesn’t need time to ponder. He knows His response before we even ask, but He does need to know we trust Him. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
 
When I keep opening the app and checking to see if anyone is typing, I’m not trusting the process or the response. When I keep calling on God to hurry up and help out, I’m not trusting Him, either.
 
Sometimes we need to lay the phone down and go on with our daily lives. When it comes to messages exchanged with Heaven, sometimes it’s time to do the same. Maybe, if we really can’t let it rest, it’s time to change what we’re saying. Perhaps we need to start looking for ways to praise Him. Even though we are distraught in soul, what action can I take that will honor God? Scrolling through my phone, trying to mask my nervous energy, or standing at the sink washing dishes and listing the things I am thankful for today?
 
These thoughts aren’t new. Neither are they answers. Maybe they’re just a reminder to myself. When I feel like I’ve been left on read, I need to move forward with positive trust. I need to let go of my own ideas and surrender to Mender of broken situations. Because of one thing I am certain: when I am in service to God, I will never be out of the area where He can service me.