Jesse sat in the chapel quietly while the people around her stood.  The people sang in chorus to a simple melody on guitar. The melody was soothing and tranquil.  Jesse, however, sat in turmoil, imprisoned by her thoughts that drowned the singing in the room.  Her mother had insisted that she come to the chapel. She also confiscated Jesse’s phone leaving her with a notebook and pen.  There were a million other places she would rather be. 

“What do you want God to do for you?”  the man from the stage asked the crowd.  

The room erupted in voices calling out things that they wanted and needed for God to do.  Jesse began to draw a genie coming out of an antique lamp.  She had a sly grin on her face.  

These people call out to an invisible God to ask for things.  They are no different than the fairy tales of the genies, she thought to herself.

“Give your question to God.” The man interrupted her thoughts. “He is big enough to handle it.  He will answer you.”

Ok.  If you are so big, let’s see what you do.  IF you do anything at all.

Jesse began to write a small note on the bottom corner of her notebook.

Photo by Brett Sayles

My question to God: Are you real? Do you hear these people asking you for things as though you can do anything about it? If you are real, where have you been?  Why haven’t I see you?  -Jesse

Jesse thought about her note for a moment. How will God answer me? My mom has my phone.  I don’t have a spiritual connection to understand what God would say to me.  So, she added her email address to the bottom of the note.  Then she tore it off, folded it, and placed it in the middle of the hymnal in front of her.

Jesse wasn’t sure how long they were there, but she was glad to get out of there when it was time to leave.  Her mom talked the entire way home, but Jesse tuned her out.  She was done with the day.  In fact, Jesse was done with her life.  Every day seemed to flow into the next. She couldn’t wait to move out and live life her own way…without her parents ruling her.

A few days later, Jesse received an email.  

SUBJECT:  My Question to God 

FROM: tonym@email.com

Jesse,

I found your question to God in the hymnal at the chapel. I don’t regularly attend the chapel. Last night, something woke me up around 4 am.  I live alone, but I got up and walked around the house to make sure no one else was there.  The light shone in the kitchen highlighting a pamphlet for the chapel on the counter. I got dressed and headed to the chapel.

It was closed, but I knocked on the door anyway.  A man answered and let me inside.  There was no magic inside.  I just sat down. I grabbed the hymnal to read through the songs, and your note fell out.

God wants to answer your questions.  Let me know if I can help.

Tony

Jesse sat back in her chair amazed.  She closed her computer and went on with her day. It’s just a coincidence. 

Two hours later, Jesse received another email.  

SUBJECT: My Question to God

From: Merida H

Jesse,

Yes.  God is real.  He has not been hiding from you.  He has been with you all along.  I am praying that you will see him.

Merida

Is this Merida from school?  How did she know about the question?  She must know the other guy. He probably told her to message me.

Jesse received alerts all day.  When she checked, she had 12 new emails all with the SUBJECT: My Question to God.  They were all from different people. 

Those people probably came together to send the messages. They probably feel like they need to convert me. I’m not going to be their project.  Jesse left and headed straight to the chapel. 

There were no services scheduled at the chapel, but the door was open.  Jesse walked inside and stopped before reaching the seat with the hymnal.  Someone was sitting there. 

“Excuse me,”  she said.  “This is a little awkward, but can you hand me that hymnal?”

The man sitting there glanced up at her before handing it to her.  Jesse gave a small smile as she took it.  She began flipping through the pages when he spoke to her.

“Are you Jesse?”

She stopped and look up at him. “Yes.”

“Tony,”  the man said as he stood and offered his hand.

She ignored his hand and continued to look through the hymnal.

“The question isn’t there,” he said. 

Jesse stopped and looked up at him.

“I checked.”

“Then, how did…” she whispered to herself.

“Did you get other responses?”  Tony asked.

“Yes.  They keep coming.  Did you tell people to message me?”

“No.  I have been coming here every day since I sent it.”

“Why?  Do you work here?”  Jesse thought he must be employed by the church to send out messages to people.

“No.  I’m a youth pastor at different church actually.”

Jesse sat down.  Defeated.  “I give up.  I don’t get it.  These people were singing and praying to nothing.  They were crying!”  The last line spilled out of her mouth in sarcasm.

“They believe.  Have you ever wanted to believe in something bigger than yourself?”

Jesse blew out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “I believe in what is real.” She had emphasized the last word. “Yes, there are things bigger than myself that I believe.” 

“How do you know what’s real?”

“I can see it and study it.” She shook her head in frustration.  “I just don’t get all the crying and emotions.  These people aren’t realistic. They put their hope in something that may never happen.”

Tony sat there with Jesse.  He didn’t know what to do or say.  He didn’t want an argument.  “Only God can show you how real He is.”

Jesse looked up at him.  “God is invisible, right?  We can’t see him.”

“People have seen Him, though.  Moses talked with God face to face.  Jesus came and lived on the earth with people.  A lot of people saw Him.”

Jesse looked at him in disbelief.  “Those are stories.  How do we know they’re real?”

“Let’s ask Him.”  Tony said.  “God, will you show us that You are real?”

They sat there for a little while.  It seemed like an eternity.  Jesse looked around at the chapel while they waited.  The walls were trimmed in ornate wooden carvings.  The windows held stories drawn in beautiful stained glass.  The light came through the windows and cast colorful shadows around the room.  

Ok, it’s peaceful I’ll give you that, but if you are a big, powerful God like the people sing about, You can do something impossible right here for me to see and to know.

The prayer left her thoughts and a breeze blew through the chapel. The wind was strong enough to blow her hair back away from her face.  Jesse’s face didn’t have time to respond to the breeze because the light from the windows focused on the wooden pew in front of them.  In seconds, smoke began to rise.  They would have gotten up to evacuate, but they couldn’t move.

The smoke didn’t start a fire.  The room smelled like fire and Jesse felt the warmth of fire in spite of the cool breeze.  However, the smoke finished just as quickly as it began.

“Look!”  Tony pointed to the pew.  

There was a mark from the light on the pocket that held the hymnal.  Jesse leaned closer to see it clearly.  Letters etched by the light read: I AM.  Jesse sat back in her chair and tears began to stream down her face.  In an instant, she completely understood the words to all of the songs the people sang.  A warm sensation moved over her skin from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Am I real?

“Yes.  You are.”