What I would have said

I can't take a steady diet listening to Dr Laura because of her sometimes language and harshness, however, I know she's very pro family, and is a great advocate for children...so I still check in. 

Tuesday she opened up her radio program to a subject I’d never heard her directly address. She said recently she was privy to a conversation between two good friends. One was a very devout Christian and the other, an atheist. Those two have been great friends for a long time. 

Dr Laura thought it interesting those two could even get along since their views are so different. In the conversation, the atheist was telling the Christian what a hard time he was having coping with some things he was going through. The Christian asked the atheist friend, “Well, would you like me to pray for you?”  

The atheist said, “Sure.” 

Then the Christian asked, “Would you like me to pray for you out loud so you can hear it?” 

The atheist said, “Sure.” 

So the Christian friend prayed. After the prayer, the atheist friend expressed deep gratitude to the Christian, was rather moved, and teared up. 

Dr Laura said (with a little laughter in her voice), “But then he went on remaining an atheist!” Like she was totally baffled by the fact the atheist was touched by the prayer. 

I don’t find that odd at all. Even though the atheist may not have understood why, or what was happening, he still felt the spirit. This made me think of my atheist maternal Grandma. I once asked a close friend of mine, “How can my Grandma be such a good and loving person when she doesn’t even believe in God?” My friend responded, “Your Grandma is still created in His image, even if she doesn’t realize it."

So yesterday after Dr Laura explained that conversation between her Christian friend and her Atheist friend to her radio audience, she requested listeners call in and give the answers to two questions: “Do you believe in God?” and "Why or why not?"

She asked for both Christian and atheists to call and she told her screeners to take even amounts of calls from both “sides.” 

After a few calls from people stating they believed in God, she paused and said the screeners were telling her all the calls were from Christians. So she then asked her listeners, “Is my whole audience Christian? Come on you atheists, I want to hear from you, too.” So then she got some calls from a few atheists. 

I couldn’t call in because by the time I was listening to it, the show had long since been over. But this is what I would have said, “Yes I believe in God with my whole soul and heart. I have no doubts.” and  then Dr Laura would have asked as she did with all her callers yesterday, “Why do you believe in God?” I would have said, “Because he’s been answering my prayers since I was a tiny little girl. No, he doesn’t always give me what I want, and no, he doesn’t always take away all my pain and illness and problems. But I have developed faith in him over the many years that He will do what is best for me. And if the pain or grief I am experiencing at the time doesn't go away, he will comfort me and send people into my life who will help me through all that. I know this because He always has, so I know He always will. When I get scared about the future and all the unknowns, I also feel peace that He was been there for me before so I know He will be there for me again. It’s as simple and beautiful as that."

I have listened to Dr Laura for decades....ever since was McKay was a newborn (he's 36 now!) She was on KFI radio in LA and I could only get that station in those days if it was dark outside. I would go in the back room of our house, where the reception was better, turn my radio dial ever so gently to a very particular spot, and nurse McKay to sleep while listening to her.

I believe Dr Laura has struggled for years with the meaning of life. She has said a few times in the past that there can’t be a God because where was he when all those people prayed for help in the holocaust? Now with the pandemic and the riots and all the tragedies and hard things in this year 2020, I often hear her talk about her fear and struggles. I think she brought up this story about her Christian and atheist friends because she’s looking for answers herself. I think she wants to believe in God. She wants to think there is life after death. She wants to think that it’s not over when she dies. In my opinion, she’s searching. 

This scripture in the Bible is one of my favorites:

"Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Isaiah 41:10