“But, Pastor Wade, how do you really know there is a God? You can’t see Him, you can’t feel Him. Does He talk to you or something?” Fourteen years old. I had known her for eight years. Quick mind, sassy at times but capable of deep thoughts. She wasn’t challenging me, she was simply asking the question. She didn’t realize at the moment that it was the most important question she would ever ask, she was simply asking a question she had puzzled over for a while. What she was being told in school was that we are here through an evolutionary accident. A slight difference and she could have been a completely different kind of creature, or not even exist at all. So now she sat in my office, face full of innocence and concern and thought. “But, Pastor Wade, how do you really know there is a God? You can’t see Him, you can’t feel Him. Does He talk to you or something?”

          How would you answer that question? Would you quote Scripture? Using the Bible to validate God and who God is doesn’t make sense to a young teen who has been told that not only is there no God, but the Bible that supposedly proves His existence and character is a pretty good read in the same way that Shakespeare is a good read. Good stories, but just stories. Would you say that you know there is a God because he lives in your heart? A young teen can dismiss that easily; no one lives in your heart. She had been told in school that you believe only what your senses confirm, that is, only what you can see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Otherwise, it likely isn’t real. Would you say that you can feel Him leading you daily? Again, that young teen has seen you make mistakes and has seen you slip and get angry and argue and curse……..God is leading you to do those things? Teens may act stupid at times, but they have a lot more going on than most adults can imagine. So, how would you answer that question in a way that would make sense?

          “But, Pastor Wade, how do you really know there is a God? You can’t see Him, you can’t feel Him. Does He talk to you or something?”

          Jesus used parables to explain abstract ideas. A workable definition of a parable is ‘an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.’ Sometimes, in dealing with people and using an abstract idea they can not wrap their brain around, you have to use a parable. Hitting someone with Scripture doesn’t always work.

          She looked at me with her deep blue eyes from under her flaming read hair. Her life experiences had not been very pleasant to this point; broken home, uncertainty in life, struggles in school. Still, she was full of hope, she had a sweet personality and she had boundless energy. She had the ability to drive me crazy and then, just when I had reached an end of patience, she would dissolve in giggles. She was your typical tomboy. She was also one of my favorites, although I would never let her know that. I knew at that moment that I wanted to see this child in heaven and this was the best opportunity I would ever have.

“Nikki,” I said. “How do you think I feel about you?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, how do you think I feel about you?” “Well, you love me.” “OK, now stop right there. Have I ever told you that I love you? Have I ever bought you an expensive gift?” To each of these she said a quiet ‘no.’ “Have I ever gotten frustrated with you? Have I ever told you to settle down? Have I ever told you to do something you didn’t want to do?” To each of these she said a quiet ‘yes.’ “Then, why on earth, girlie girl, do you think I love you?” Again in the quiet voice, “I can feel it.” I sat back in my chair. “Doesn’t make sense, Nic. You can’t see the love, you can’t hear the love, you can’t touch the love, you can’t taste the love and you can’t smell the love. How do you know?” She looked me straight in the eye. “I just know.” Now I stood up. “You know what, Nikki? I do love you. I don’t even know how much I love you. I love all the kids in the Youth. And I really, really love you.” Tears pooled up in her eyes. “Do you trust me to always tell you the truth?” The tears slid from her eyes as she nodded. “OK, here it is. You can’t see it or hear it or touch it or taste it or smell it. But you believe anyway that I love you. And that is the way it is with God. Just because you can’t sense it doesn’t mean it is not real. Do you believe that?” “Yes, I do.” Now, I sat down on the sofa with her, which an adult male should never do with a teenager. So what? I took her hand and said to her, “Nic, God loved you so much that he did more for you than I could ever do. You know my son Adam?” Her eyes got big. She had a secret crush on Adam. “Do you think I could ever choose you over my own son, even though you know I love you?” Still with the big eyes, a shake of the head. “You are right. As much as I love you, my own son would have to come first. But sweetheart, God loved you so much that He did give His Son for you.” Bigger eyes. She had heard the story several times, but suddenly it clicked. “Why don’t you accept that sacrifice and love and take Christ as Savior now?”

 And she did.

 Our lives need to be soaked in the love of Christ. Our actions, our temperaments and our language needs to speak His grace. A professor once told us to always teach the Word, but just as important, live the Word.

 “But, Pastor Wade, how do you really know there is a God? You can’t see Him, you can’t feel Him. Does He talk to you or something?” How would you answer that question?

 A few weeks ago, Nikki contacted me. She now lives in South Carolina with her mother. Nic is 25, 26 years old. She is in church every Sunday. She is dating a young man and they are starting to talk about getting married. No date set or anything. “Whenever I have thought about getting married, I have always thought that you would be the one to do the service. Would you?” Oh, wow, South Carolina. Long ways, she has a pastor already, it is a long way….I kind of hemmed and hawed a little. “But, Pastor Wade, you love me, don’t you?” Little stinker. We are going to have to work something out. We will see.