Wrestling with God

Performed at Victoria Avenue Baptist Church on Sunday October 26, 2008
Inspired by Genesis 32:22-32

Joey:

Hi Martha!

Martha:

Oh, hi Joey. Hey, have you ever wondered what exactly God
means when he says we have to love everyone?

Joey:

Oh – I’m pretty sure that he means he wants us to love everyone.

Martha:

Like, if someone wants to be my friend, I shouldn’t be mean to them?

Joey:

That’s right!

Martha:

Ok, so, if they don’t want to be my friend, and they’re really
mean, that doesn’t count, right?

Joey:

What? What are you talking about?

Martha:

*in one breath* At school my teacher said that we all have to
do a project with partners, and she picked the partners, and she
picked the meanest girl in the whole class to be my partner, and now I
have to work with her! but I don’t want to because she’s mean to me!
and then I was thinking that God wants me to love everyone, but I
don’t think that I can love this girl, and now that my teacher made me
work with her, I am starting to wonder about her too!!

Joey:

Oh! So you’re wrestling with God.

Martha:

What? No, I’m not….I just have to work with this mean girl at school.

Joey:

And God wants you to love her, right?

Martha:

Apparently.

Joey:

So you’re struggling with what God wants you to do?

Martha:

I guess that sounds like wrestling…

Joey:

The good news is, God is with you, and if you ask him to help
you he will. Not that it would be easy. Wrestling with God never is.

Martha:

That’s a good idea – - I definitely need more strength to deal
with this situation!

Joey:

Yeah, especially since if you wrestle with God for too long,
he’ll make you limp for life!

Martha:

Okay. Now I want to know what you are talking about!

Joey:

You don’t know the coolest story in the bible!? Jacob was
camping, and he started wrestling with someone, and he was winning, so
the guy he was wrestling with broke his hip!

Martha:

And…?

Joey:

And then Jacob found out he was wrestling with God Himself!

Martha:

Jacob wrestled with God??

Joey:

I know, right!? Jacob asked for a blessing, and God changed his
name to Israel.

Martha:

Wow! Wrestling with God sounds dangerous!

Joey:

I just thought I’d give you a heads up.

Martha:

I think I’m going to go and pray for help with my wrestling skills!

- zoe