Reason #195

I had dinner with my dad tonight. A pizza date! I don't spend a lot of one on one time with my dad, but when I do, I always enjoy it. My dad is a straight shooter. He tells it how it is. Calls it how it is, too. And when you ask him a question, he'll give you a direct answer. He doesn't hash things out but rather gets to the point. I love this about him. But most of all, I love the fact that he is constantly looking out for my best interest. So, when he answers, when he speaks up, I know he's doing it out of love and protection. And, really, it is so comforting to know that when I have a question, when I need help, when I need direction, I can just go to him, ask, and get an honest, trustworthy answer.

I've come to realize that I can do the same thing with my Heavenly Father. Do you have a question, do you need an answer? Ask! So I've been asking. Being direct, being specific, and just asking. I'm not really sure why I haven't come to this conclusion sooner in life. I suppose I've always felt like I just had to be general and broad with my requests. A "blanket" request. But I've started being specific and honest. A straight shooter. And I've begun to ask Him specifically. "Lord, what do you want me to do about this particular situation?" "Lord, please make very clear to me the direction you need me to go with this." "Lord, if this is not your will for me, please shut this door." Because here's what I learned. As I was spreading out my "blanket requests", I really wasn't sure what I was looking for. I was dancing around the question rather than being specific because I wasn't sure of the answer I wanted. Once I figured out what I wanted to happen, then I could be specific. And there lies the problem. I was trying to figure it out. I wanted an answer, but I wanted to decide what the answer was. I wanted to talk it out, hash it out, beat around the bush so that I could come up with a solution, my own solution.

I sat at my desk today feeling flustered and aggrivated. I didn't know what to do. I knew I could feed my emotions and let them consume me. I knew I could spend time hashing out my thoughts and talk circles around my feelings, which would solve nothing. I knew I could just lay it at His feet and trust Him to take care of it. So, after some debate, I decided I would just ask Him about it. I would just be specific, honest, and tell Him. And so I did. And He answered. Very specifically, very quickly, He answered. And in no time at all, my frustrations began to melt away. My anxiety began to subside. And I was completely amazed by how He answered more than one question with His response. Killing two birds with one stone, as the saying goes.

But as I sat at dinner with my dad tonight and held his hand in prayer, I heard him lift up the same request I had been uttering, and it hit me. My dad isn't the only one who has my best interest at heart. He isn't the only one who desires to give me answers to my questions, and he isn't the only one who cares about the outcome. And so I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who is faithful to give us answers. I'm thankful for a Father who welcomes our questions and repsonds out of love and protection. And maybe, sometimes, it's not the answer we want, but it's always in our best interest. And so I praise Him for being so kind to answer my questions. For taking the time to listen to my requests, and most of all, for always giving me a trustworthy and honest response.

#195 - Because I can ask knowing that He has my best interest at heart.

"I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath." - Psalm 116:1-2