Hello, Jesus!

HELLO, JESUS!

Theresa was only three years old, but she already had a lot of questions about God. Why, she had been going to Sunday School every week for as long as she could remember. All those stories were so much fun to listen to, and learn about the things that happened in the days the Bible talked about.

Her newest question was about praying. Mrs. Adams had been telling her in Sunday School that God can hear all the prayers that people make to him. That seemed so hard to believe!

"There are so many people in the world. I know what I'll do," she decided one day when she was thinking about all these things. "I'll just go ask my dad if this is the truth that Mrs. Adams has told me."

So she went in search of her dad, and found him in his workshop in the back yard. He was always glad to have her watch him as he did something with one of his many tools and projects there.

"Hello, my girl," he greeted Theresa as she entered the building.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, her voice very serious and business-like. "I've got to ask you about something."

Such grown-up talk got his attention right away. This is what made him notice how somber her mood was. What could this be about?

"Why, sure thing, Theresa. You know Dad will be glad to help you in any way he can."

"I've been listening to Mrs. Adams in Sunday School, and she told us that God can always hear us when we pray. Is this really true? Can He really hear the things we say to Him?"

A serious question, indeed! Daddy put his tools down and turned to give her his full attention. "Yes, that is true. God really can hear everything we say to Him. He knows when we are praying and talking to Him directly, and He can hear everything we are saying when we are talking to each other, too."

"So do we have to speak loudly so He can hear us way up there in heaven?"

"No, Dear, God can hear us when we talk to HIm just like this, or if we talk very softly."

Theresa's eyes grew wide with wonder. These were such deep things to be learning about. "Do you mean," she wispered very quietly, "He can even hear us if we talk to Him like this?"

"Yes," Daddy whispered back as he squatted down beside her, "He can hear a whisper. He even knows what we are thinking when we don't say anything at all, like when we pray silently in church."

All of a sudden Theresa did not know what else to say. This was so strange to hear! With her dad still squatting low to talk on her level, she turned and ran out into the yard. She kept running until she was as far away from her house and dad as she could get. Far out in that back corner she stopped and looked up at the bright, blue sky. The warm sun made her eyes squint and her nose wrinkle up as she looked at some fluffy, white clouds floating by. For a long time she just stood there, thinking and thinking. She didn't even notice that Daddy, surprised by her running out so suddenly, was standing in his workshop doorway and watching her. He was sort of chuckling to himself as he imagined that she was thinking about these things and would soon whisper a little prayer to this God she was learning about and trying to understand.

And then, all of a sudden, she did something very unusual. She threw her head way back, put one hand on each side of her mouth, and screamed out just a loudly as she could yell, "Hello, Jesus! How are You doing up there?" Then she turned around and skipped happily back toward the house, noticing her dad, still standing and watching her, just as she got almost back to his workshop.

"Thanks, Daddy," she gave a little wave, intending to pass him by and go back into her house.

"Theresa, honey," he stopped her, really puzzled. "Why did you just yell out to God like that? I thought you were surely going to whisper a prayer to Him."

"I thought about that, Daddy, and the more I thought, it just seemed like there must be an awful lot of things for God to have to try hard to listen to and still hear me, too. I decided to yell at Him. I figured if I could scream loud enough, He would be sure and hear me above all those prayers and talking and thoughts of everybody else!"

THE END