Keeping God in the Loop

I recently got a phone call from my brother-in-law.  He doesn’t normally call me; it was odd.  He left a message on my cell phone after I had gone to bed, requesting I call him back the next day so he could fill me in on my sister.  So many possibilities ran through my head when I heard the recording.  I listened to his message several times attentive to any helpful nuances in his voice.  So many questions:  why wasn’t my sister calling?  Had she been in an accident?  Was he planning a surprise for her?  Is he already up at 5am? 

Short story: he called to keep me in the loop.  My sister had a scheduled colonoscopy with less than desirable results.  Our family history is thick with cancer, and he knew if our roles were reversed, my sister would’ve been furious if she was uninformed.  There were still questions, and I was invited into their journey.

“In the Loop”

I began to process this idea of keeping others “in the loop.”  It’s all about relationship; it’s declaring someone is important and keeping them up to date on one’s experiences, thoughts and feelings is a priority.  Including someone in my journey implies I value his input or her point of view.  I am reassured when people I declare significant are in the know about my life.

The Holy Spirit formed the question: Do you intentionally keep God “in the loop?” 

I realize that God knows all things; I recognize that He knows what is going on long before I experience any situation.  AND… including God declares I value Him and our relationship.  It reminds my heart that I value His input and His holy point of view.  I find comfort when I pour out my heart and soul to Jesus, my friend and Savior. AND… sometimes it’s difficult to be honest with God.  Know what I mean?

Keeping God in the loop is a bit different than keeping my sister in the loop.  

• My sister is a smart cookie and God always knows best. 
• I like making my sister happy and God is the one I long to delight most. 
• My sister gives sound advice, and God is the one who is in control of all things.
• My sister and I are similar in many ways, so she gets me, and God is the One who created me. 
• When I keep my sister in the loop I talk and talk and talk.  It’s all about me.  When I keep God in the loop, I need to remember it’s still all about Him.

Psalm 141

The Psalmist David gives us tips about keeping God in the loop.

1. Our prayers are to be like incense.  It’s not just us talking all about us.  We are to be worshiping, recognizing God’s holiness, and honoring Him (verse 2).
2. We need to listen as much as we talk. David gives God permission to set boundaries, and to stop him from acting inappropriately or sinfully. We need to willingly hear God speak “no” even when we want Him to declare “yes” (verses 3-5).
3. Trust the Almighty to provide what you need and be your comfort as you journey wherever He determines. Only God has the power of life and death.  He is our ultimate refuge (verses 8-10).

So many things happen in our day to day lives– good things, hard things, random things, fearful things, goofy things.  God wants to hear from us.  He wants to be kept in the loop. Always. My prayer is that you’ll carve out time and invite God into the loop of your life.

Photo of phone by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash