Be Careful What You Ask For
Field Trip
Sometimes we just don't think things through when we make a request of God. Maybe we are feeling a little desperate and ask for too much. Maybe we are feeling guilty for asking and ask for too little. And then there is the "crowd" who asks for precisely they want, maybe need...or think they do. Sounds like the wiser crowd is the latter, no? NO!Many years ago when my children were very small we took a day trip to the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport to meet a friend whom I had known for some years through an adhd support group. Wilani was a missionary out west coming to visit her parents in Hendersonville, N.C. so it was very special for me. It was also a fun getaway for a mom of 3 boys who had a heavy schedule without much room in it for random jaunts. We chatted and watched the interesting people with all of their uniquely worn expressions of....well,them! One guy held our attention pretty well with his bright orange afro. He reminded us of Waldo in Where's Waldo, but with an afro that must have spanned over a yard in diameter. We thought he must surely have had to pay for 3 seats.
God Provides
Anyway, it was a lovely visit, seeing Wilani face to face and full of all of the sights sounds bells and whistles we could have asked for, and we were very tired as we started home that evening. I decided to take the 285 perimeter highway home and it was a peaceful ride back.....until it happened.....
"Mama, I have to pee". No, I thought. Just no. It was not safe to stop; especially being a minivan. It screams "defenseless woman here!" No exits were coming for a long time and his bladder got fuller and fuller. 'If only gas tanks would do that!', I thought. So as we approached the point of explosion all I could think to do was pass my empty 24 ounce QT cup back to George. He was about 4 years old then, I think. That's when I prayed, "Dear God, please don't let him pee more that 24 ounces! PLEASE don't let him pee more that 24 ounces!" I declared it and believed it....and you know what? I received it! He peed 24 ounces exactly TO THE RIM! I passed the lid back and it was placed ever so gingerly on the cup and very slowly and carefully passed back to me where I released it, with the care of a bombsquad technician, into the cup holder. WHEW!
All was well again...except that the cup had me holding my breath just at the thought of it coming apart at the first bump or turn. We finally made into Alpharetta where the only place I new who had a public trash can was Burger King. Not many people there...oh dear.......the trashcan was inside. "Okay, George, just take the cup right inside the door and carefully drop it into the trash can. CAREFULLY!" Why did I let him do it? I-don't-knooooooow! It was contained and I just thought he could drop it right in and that would be that! All seemed to be going just fine. It was such a simple task. *sigh* I began to wonder what was taking so long when he finally got into the minivan and said, "We better go Mommy". I almost didn't ask him why, because I just knew that it couldn't be good. I was right, too. He spilled it. George proceeded to tell us about just missing the opening of the trash can and the flood it created on the floor of Burger King. Yes, all over the floor it went; 24 ounces of hot stinky urine... and how the fella who came up to clean it with a mop stopped short and shrieked, "Hey mun. Dat's not tea, mun!"
Well, needless to say Mario-Mama peeled out of Burger King at 10 o'clock at night tires squealing. It took some doing but I made the whole gang promise not to discuss this with a soul. ESPECIALLY AT CHURCH! If the urge came up to talk about it, we would talk amongst ourselves!
So the question is: Why didn't I ask for 12 ounces of pee instead of thinking that I should just make sure it didn't go over the 24? Fear. That was the first thing that hit me. Fear that it would go over the amount the cup could hold. Maybe if I hadn't felt so panicked already, I would have asked for a free jostling 12 ounces of urine to flow into that cup, no? YES!
It's a silly example to use but it can still cause us to ponder how many of our prayers are tainted with fear and therefore wouldn't really, if answered, meet our true need. How often do we say, tongue in cheek, "Well, that IS what I asked for" or "You sure got what you asked for"? I am learning to say, "Lord, what is your will in this situation knowing my heart as you do? Given Your long range vision and my short sightedness, please, Lord, do what is best". And then I try to trust what is or is not in front of me. But it is still the unexpected moments that catch me by surprise and send me scrambling for a solution, expecting God to agree and get right on it. Well, in my case He did! So many bad decisions made when there is a sense of urgency and fear is involved.
I've always heard, "We have what we ask around the church circles." I found it to be true much of the time! If we ask in error, we will likely learn from the here-it-is-on-a-silver-tray-let's-see-how-you-handle-it answer.
Father Knows Best
So, I'm not saying that I think there is anything wrong with specific prayer, really. Just a little more carefully thought out perhaps. God is a God of understanding. He is familiar with our inward most parts (not a genie in a bottle), so we can always count on His answers to be wise ones. I'm just saying that maybe we should start saying wiser prayers. Haphazard didn't work for me that night on a dark highway and in Burger King (but who knows, maybe the BK employee asked a haphazard question of God, like 'please liven up my boring day'). Ya never know.
Let Go and Let God
I believe fear to be up there with pride as a number one deterrent to a joy filled life with Jesus. And I KNOW that He "did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind". We have that option..the option to stop in the midst of chaos and think...trust Him and let Him lead. I know it to be true. Maybe it took some more years to get here, but it is so. And now look, I will probably get tested after this goes out to you sweet readers, so pray for me!! I love you, God loves you. Now go and love yourself... without fear.
Sincerely,
Your Uncultured Pearl
