BACK CLOSET 5'?m2f Hearing God's voice, prayer, God's will, Balaam LIZ -- (enters wearing carpenter's apron, carrying lumber and a hammer) AMY -- (enters opposite) Well, don't you look like a carpenter?! LIZ -- The guy at the lumber store sold me everything I'd need. AMY -- Need. Need for what? LIZ -- I'm building a prayer closet. AMY -- A what? LIZ -- A prayer closet. AMY -- Why do you think you need a prayer closet? Don't you already have a quiet place to read the Bible and pray? LIZ -- Yes. But it's not a prayer closet. AMY -- And what does a prayer closet have that you don't already have? LIZ -- R-19. AMY -- R-19. LIZ -- Yes, R-19 insulation. When I'm done with it, my prayer closet will be completely isolated from the outside world. AMY -- But, when you close the door to your room you're isolated from the outside world. LIZ -- Not R-19 isolated. The lumber store guy says that with R-19 insulation, a 747 could fly over my house and I could still hear a pin drop inside my prayer closet! AMY -- Is it important for you to hear pins dropping? LIZ -- Silly goose! It's a figure of speech! The reason I need it so quiet is so I can be sure that there won't be any distractions. AMY -- I don't know how to tell you this, but R-19 insulation is not going to remove your distractions. LIZ -- It won't? AMY -- No. LIZ -- I knew it! I should have bought R-30! (turns, nearly hitting Amy in the head with the lumber) AMY -- (ducks) R-30 won't do it either. LIZ -- It won't? AMY -- No. LIZ -- Well, how much insulation do I need?! My walls can only be so thick! Any thicker and I'll have to get a new construction license. AMY -- No, you don't understand. Most of your distractions are not from noise or anything else external. Most of your distractions are from within. LIZ -- Well, the inside of my prayer closet will have no pictures. It won't even have wall paper. AMY -- I'm talking about the inside of your head! LIZ -- Oh. I had the feeling I was taking the wrong approach. I think I'll go back to Plan A. AMY -- What was Plan A? LIZ -- A 2000 watt audio amplifier. AMY -- A 2000 watt audio amplifier. I'm not sure I want to hear about this. LIZ -- (ignoring the last comment) You see, with all the distractions, I wasn't sure I would be able to hear God's voice. But, but if I could get God to use a 2000 watt audio amplifier.... AMY -- ...God would talk louder. LIZ -- Yes. AMY -- (exiting) Stick to the prayer closet. LIZ -- Wait a minute! You just said that a prayer closet wouldn't work! AMY -- (stops, turns) A 2000 watt audio amplifier won't work either. LIZ -- Oh, sure. Go ahead. Burst my balloon. AMY -- Listen, I don't want to hurt your feelings. LIZ -- Well, just tell me, then, just how am I supposed to know what God's will is for my life? AMY -- (exiting) Read your Bible. LIZ -- Wait a minute. AMY -- (stops, turns) What? LIZ -- That's too easy. AMY -- Yeah, life is like that sometimes. LIZ -- It can't be that simple. AMY -- Why not? LIZ -- Well, what about the distractions? AMY -- What about the distractions? LIZ -- What if God is trying to tell me something and I'm too distracted to hear him? AMY -- I'm afraid you've forgotten the lesson of Balaam and his donkey. LIZ -- What does Balaam have to do with distractions? AMY -- Balaam was not even a believer. He was defying the will of the Lord. But the Lord was able to communicate with him anyway... LIZ -- ...Through the donkey. Oh. AMY -- Do you think that the God who created the universe with the spoken word doesn't have the technology to communicate with you if he really wanted to? LIZ -- I... I see what you're saying. If God really wanted to communicate his will to me, there is no way I could keep him from doing it. AMY -- That's the way I see it. LIZ -- Then, why am I doing this? AMY -- You mean, other than because you have too small a view of God? LIZ -- Why don't I feel like I know God's will? AMY -- I can think of two reasons. The first possibility is that you once knew God's will, but you just forgot it. The second possibility is that you know God's will and you don't like it and want to tell God to try again with something more interesting. Plan B. LIZ -- Oh. AMY -- So, which is it for you? LIZ -- Both. When I first became a Christian, I was really hot for Jesus. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to BE like him. But I thought I graduated to the next level. But there is no next level. That's always what God wants for me, to know him more and to be more like him. AMY -- (exiting) Naw, that's too simple. LIZ -- (follows) Say, did I ever tell you about Plan C? ©2013 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.bobsnook.org email: [email protected] BACK |