Just Bob

Most of my life has been filled with things I have wondered about, questions I have asked, and just talking to people. Maybe the most important part is I’m learning how to listen. Often I feel that I’m the only one left that will listen. Many times I feel the hurts of others in my heart. I feel I’m in this world to comfort others. There are times that I feel too close to some to be able to feel their pain. That saddens me and is something I’m trying to overcome. I have hurts, things that bother me, things that may be overlooked by others, many are God things. We have been given many exciting new teaching tools, but many teachers are still using the tools of our fathers and grand fathers. I’m uncomfortable with how commercial, big business, and scripted many of today’s religions have become. Much of today’s teaching reminds me of a concert where every note has been practiced and when the concert begins there is no room left between the notes for God to step in. I find this especially true in those large TV churches. They have just so much air time and just so much money to spend. Each second must be scripted and each of those seconds must end up on the profit side of their books. As I listen, I find it hard for me to understand how God’s time can be balanced against the time spent asking for money, but I guess that show must go on! It bothers me when I listen to those teachers and then walk away feeling that I was exposed to an editorial based on that person’s interpretation of what it says in the book. I find myself troubled when I look at all religions. Religion could be so simple! I’m sure most will agree that everything has a starting point, a creator; in my religion I call that starting point God! Now tell me why millions have been killed, because of that point we all agree upon, but just because we walk through different doors to get there. Why can’t we find ways to look at how we are all the same, not why we are different? Many times I find that God changes our lives in unforeseen and unplanned ways. Sometimes He just seems to sneak one in on us! An example of that is; many years ago I heard a second hand story about a little girl that stuck in my mind while many other things fell through. She came running home from Sunday school. As she ran up to her mother she told her mother that they were going to need an extra blanket on her bed that night, she said her teacher told her that the “Comforter cometh!” That one word “comforter” has always stayed up front in my mind. I find many hurting people finding me with their hurts. Many ask me questions that they know that I can’t answer, but they know that I will listen to their question. And, they know that as we part there will always be a hug. If I find they must have answers, I never quote those answers from a “Holy Book” as many have looked there for those answers and failed to find them. I have never been very good at reading from a book, so I go to my God and ask that words will be put in my mouth that will please Him. I find that comfort is sometimes beyond words. Many times we have to share those hurts in our hearts with nothing more than a long hug. That one touch often can say more than a thousand words. Well that’s it. That’s all there is to me! Hope you know me a little better. I hope you realize why I’m just Bob, a good listener.