The Telephone Inside of You
how did you get that?
I would like you to say something to God.
A prayer. A whazzzup. A request. A thank you. Whatever you want. But I want you to not say something with words out of your mouth. I want you to communicate with your very being. Think it. Feel it. Emote it.
Take a moment and do it.
(come back when you’re ready)
What did you just do? What is that? Somehow, inside your very being is a kind of portal that allows you to talk directly to God. A door that can open and close. I like to use the metaphor of a telephone.
You have a soul telephone that is connected to the Giver of your soul.
Where did you get that telephone?
Did someone come along and place that telephone inside of you? Did you go to a store, a shrine, a sanctuary and pick one out? Did you have to beg, yell, or plead to get it? Or has it always been inside of you? The answer is it’s always been there. From the very beginning of your existence, you’ve had a telephone. It’s a gift that’s always been there. The word we have for getting something that you didn’t have to request, earn, or purchase is Grace.
You have a Grace inside of you in the form of a telephone.
It’s not about whether or not you can talk to God. It’s more about what’s getting in the way of that phone call.
Is it too noisy to hear the call?
Is it hiding under a pile of dirty laundry?
Are you afraid of what the Voice will say if you pick up the phone?
Quick side note. You have a telephone. I have a telephone. Everyone already has a telephone. It’s interesting to see this metaphor because in the history of religion people have believed that they needed to walk around and put telephones in others which is silly. It’s already in there! You can’t put in what’s already in. Humans can definitely ignore their telephone, and in fact that’s probably a good definition of what spiritual formation is: paying attention to your telephone.
What if we lay down any feeling that it’s on us to pass out telephones, and instead get curious with everyone we meet about what kind of phone calls they’re having? What are their phone calls like? What do they talk about?
That conversation sounds so much more interesting.
This is an excerpt from my book Say Yes.
It’s a book about not giving up on yourself.
It’s really helpful when you need a bit of a soul/life/vocational pep talk.
Bellevue, WA January 24/25
Hey King County friends!
I will be in Bellevue on January 24 & 25 as the keynote speaker for the Meekof Lecture Series.
It’s free to attend. Just click the link
From the website:
“Friday Afternoon, January 24, 3-5 pm: Scott will lead us in a time of creativity and community. As we engage an art project together, we’ll also talk about how the creative process helps us in problem solving and working through struggles. You won’t want to miss this fun and engaging afternoon!
Saturday Morning, January 25, 10 am: For the keynote, combining art and storytelling, humor, healing, and community, Scott is going to talk about harmonizing polarities. We each have unique experiences of both the sacred and the chaotic, and we can recognize the benefits and limitations of both. However, when our traumas, fears, and ignorance push us to live at one extreme or the other we risk losing the beauty and nuance that exists beyond the false binary.”
Would love to connect!
I think you are AMAZING. I'm so grateful my creative daughters turned me on to you. I'm an older Christian woman/therapist who deeply appreciates YOU, your art, your insight, your vulnerability and your passion to stay curious with people about God and developing a relationship with the God-being. You are doing amazing things that you know nothing about! I recommend you to my clients who might benefit from a "cussing Christian :)" . Press on........and THANK YOU