God Hears

College as a whole was an uncomfortable struggle for me. I didn't have a home or a family close by, which I now know, feeds me. I wasn't grounded. I went through periods of rebellion (or complete stupidity). And then I came back to a place of faith, but was scared and overwhelmed with how far I had wandered. I was 23, a young 23. So here's my simple cry out in the dark from way back then. I met my husband about 3 months later. And it all worked out. Adolescent angst. :-)

God Hears
12/18/97
by Teri VanLieshout

When I was a young girl, feeling sad and afraid
I went to my church and I knelt down and prayed

I prayed for an answer to fall from above
The sky to tear open and pour out God's love

I wanted a voice, a hand on my shoulder
But all that I felt was the room getting colder

      It's easy to think that God doesn't hear
      When we ask and expect things like magic,
      But if we look back again at our life taking course
      We see our prayers being answered

Frustrated, empty, lost and alone
I left the church thinking I'd wasted my time

God doesn't hear me, I said to myself
He's got more important prayers on his shelf

So I went down the street for some coffee to drink
Sat down at a table alone to think

      It's easy to think that God doesn't hear
      When we ask and expect things like magic,
      But if we look back again at our life taking course
      We see our prayers being answered

At the table I sat and thumbed through some books
Nothing looked interesting, nothing quite took

And then a tap on my shoulder, as if from above
The man one seat over started talking to me

About hometowns, and majors, and jobs and the like
Finding one's path and direction in life

      It's easy to think that God doesn't hear
      When we ask and expect things like magic,
      But if we look back again at our life taking course
      We see our prayers being answered

He offered his thoughts and shared his frustrations
There were no clear answers or new revelations

But I left feeling heard and much less afraid
As if God really heard me when I knelt down and prayed

Life is a struggle, yet one thing is clear
God knows our thoughts and really does hear

      It's easy to think that God doesn't hear
      When we ask and expect things like magic,
      But if we look back again at our life taking course
      We see our prayers being answered