It's night time, the child Samuel is lying in bed waiting to go to sleep when he hears a voice call his name, "Samuel, Samuel." Samuel assumes it is Eli, his blind boss/mentor/foster father. He jumps up and runs to Eli, "Here I am." Eli looks at him strangely. (The Bible doesn't say that but I bet he did - well maybe not because he was blind, but he must have thought it was strange.) Eli says, "I didn't call you, go back to bed." So Samuel goes and lies down again.
This scenario repeats two more times - but by the third time Eli gets a clue, and adds to his instructions, "I didn't call you, go back to bed. It is God calling you, next time he calls say to him 'Speak my Lord, for your servant is listening.'" Samuel does exactly that so begins a beautiful and lifelong friendship between Samuel and God.
This made me think, Samuel misunderstood the source of the call, he tried to answer, but he answered wrong. But God did not blame him, and God did not give up. God kept calling until eventually with the help of a friend Samuel finally got it right.
God does the same thing with us. We get stuff wrong, we go about trying to know God in the wrong way and He doesn't blame us and He doesn't give up on us either. He just keeps calling.
Maybe this is another reason for us to share our struggles with our friends, this is the meaning of the verse in Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.
When we share our struggles Godly friends can help us to connect with God, and God will solve our problems.
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