The Repetitive Gift

Turn my eyes from worthless things,

and give me life through your word.

- Psalm 119:37

I have a client who will stick up his hand for our attention once he has maintained eye contact, "Excuse me, I have a question for you." Our days with him are riddled with questions -sometimes unanswered and often unanswerable. By the end of the day people will respond to his tiresome questions with exasperation; "no more questions please!" He usually only has a couple of pressing questions weighing heavily on his mind, but you can count that he will raise the same question with you the next time you pass him, though only ten minutes has passed, and repeat the cycle.

Repetition - the word itself makes me squirm in my seat. I have a restless mind that pushes and pulls me in conflicting directions. Repetition forces me to sit still, and the lack of movement and diverting entertainment can be painful. I've heard the stifling question a thousand times and ran from it, but I'm only now beginning to appreciate the gift of repetitiveness, as his questions are sinking from my head deep into my heart. 

My daughter loves to sing the worship song, Jesus loves me, and so we sing it wholeheartedly together, Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Again and again. It's a song that I grew up with as a child but it's always remained close to my heart, and as I've grown up, I can see how this simple children's song has grown with me in ever-widening concentric circles of deepening faith.  

There's so many competing voices clamoring for our attention in this noisy world, but as I cut through the ear-splitting noise - distinguishing the voice of Jesus from all others - listening attentively to God's "still, small voice"; I often hear the same, simple message repeated reassuringly, over and over; "I love you", "You can trust me", "I am always with you".

There are times when I just simply have to ask my client to hold his question as I run off to finish business at hand, but I find myself more willing now to sit down with him and listen a little more closely to the repetitious question. Actually, I'm not sure it is a question at all anymore but a confession of faith; "I like being with you", "I trust you", "I won't forget you".