Come on, Snow!

I'm feeling so cozy right now. I hope this morning's shopping spree with Heather, Tiffany, and Lezley was the last time I set foot in a store this week. Shopping with all my sisters was fun, but it took a lot of patience!

I trust y'all had a blessed Lord's Day. I did. Last night was our Candlelight service, which consists of a lot of special music and a short Christmas message. The King's Strings song went off actually pretty well. I know several members of our group don't like being in front of people, but I enjoy playing for others, if I think we're helping them worship the Lord. ...Most of the time, that is. I do have my share of nervousness!

During the morning services, I had what our Pastor calls an "Ah-hah!" moment. Pastor Rice said something that struck me like a slap in the face. He was talking about prayer;

"We often wiggle out of situations that would cause us to pray."

We do.

Why? Why do we avoid desperate situations. "Oh - but if I'm in that situation, God will be my only hope. I'll have no other hope. If He doesn't answer my prayer, I'll be ruined! It will be finished." We prefer to stay in situations where, if God doesn't answer our prayer, there's still another way out; a last resource, if you will.

But what if you're put in a situation where God is really and truly our only hope? There's no way out if He doesn't work a miracle. There's no answer unless He softens that persons' heart. There's no money unless He gives it. There's absolutely, positively, no way out, unless Jesus reaches down and pulls us up.

And He never fails. He always works things out. Always. You're still alive, right?

But come to think of it, when was the last time you were in a situation where He was your only hope? Most of the time, if He doesn't provide, there's still that little egg nest in the bank. If that person's heart isn't softened, we know someone else we can ask to help. If that trip doesn't happen, there will be other days.

We're good planners, you know. We purposely have our life scheduled so nicely, so perfectly, that there's no room for desperate situations. We need to be safe. Of course we plan everything as safely as possible.

That's the point.

Tell me something; is it an act of faith to plan something, saying "only God can make this work," but keep that extra money in mind, "just in case"?

Is it an act of faith to go out witnessing, praying for God to give you the words to say, yet memorizing that nice-sounding speech, "just in case"?

Why do we work so hard to have these "cushions" to fall back on? Why must we have that extra money? Why must we have that alternate route, in case this trip doesn't work? Why must we have that speech planned, in case God doesn't give us the words to speak when we're trying to witness?

Why?


Don't we trust Him?

I'm not saying we shouldn't plan; that's biblical. I'm just suggesting that we're addicted to plans. There's no room left for adventure. There's no way to fall out of the plane backwards, trusting God to spread a landing net below. I mean, honestly, that's really trusting; 'cause once you jump, you can't go back up to the plan to get that spare parachute, just in case God fails to catch you. You must trust. You must pray.

I guess if I start wondering why my prayer life isn't full of earnestness, tears, pleadings, and groanings that cannot be uttered, I ought to start looking at my plans. Do I have too many cushions to fall back on? Am I trying to do God's job?

I can picture it; He watches me trying to do both things; jump out of the plane, and spread the net. Pray my prayers, and answer them.

"Okay; if you think you can."

Then I wonder why 'God doesn't answer.' How ridiculous I can be!

I think that was a very enlightening - and convicting - "Ah-hah" moment.