Ask and you shall receive... and then some!

"Behold, I have given you what you asked for.... and I have also given you what you have not asked."

1 Kings 3:12,13

One of the hardest things about being ten, I think my Amazing Boy would tell you, is bedtime.  He’s not done doin’ stuff yet.  There’s more playing to be done!  And more often than not, there’s still something on TV he’d like to watch.  It’s especially hard when what he’d like to watch, is the rest of the game.  Hockey and baseball are his loves, and when we tell him it’s bedtime, he walks slowly out of the room, looking behind him as long as he can, hoping to see just a little bit more. 

Well, last week, something new and unusual happened.  My better half turned the game on the radio for him, and he got to listen to it in bed.  Now, you might be thinking, “um…. new and unusual?  Kids have been listening to the game on the radio since God was a boy!"  (Name that movie.)   

Well, not this kid.  My kids barely know the radio exists.  They listen to cd’s and their ipods, when they listen to music.   So I’m sure it never even occurred to Amazing Boy that he could listen to the game. 

Well, last week, when the Dodgers beat the Giants, I heard a little squeal of joy from the bedroom.  By way of explanation, my Better Half turned to me and said, “I turned the game on the radio for him.”  I said, “What a great idea!  How come you never did that before?”  And he replied, “He never asked.” 

He never asked??  Give me a break.   Since when do we only do things for people if they ask?  And of course, the next thing I thought was, “What if God only gave us what we asked for?”  Now, I know James says, “You have not because you ask not,” but God gives us plenty of things we don’t ask for.  But I decided to do a little experiment. 

The next morning we were up at o’dark thirty, to head to San Diego for Awesome Girl’s volleyball tournament.  I decided to pretend that that’s the way God worked.  That He’d only bless me if I asked Him to.  So I prayed for safe driving, and for all the girls to have fun, and nobody to get hurt.  I prayed that we wouldn’t get lost, and that our house would be safe and that our hearts would continue to beat all day. 

And God granted all of those prayers.  But, also He always does, He also blessed us in ways I hadn’t thought about.   I had prayed that we’d arrive safely, but I was just thinking about accidents.  I forgot to pray that there’d be no car trouble.  But there wasn’t.  No flat tires, no overheating, no stray objects flying on the freeway smashing the windshield. 

I'd prayed that our hearts would beat all day, but I didn't pray that our kidneys, lungs and brains would do all the things we count on them to do.  But they did.

I forgot to pray that we’d remember everything, but we did.  Things to keep us occupied in the car on the way down, our chairs, the snacks we’d been assigned… We had everything we needed. 

What’s more, she had everything she needed, like her kneepads, her sweatshirt and even her socks and shoes.  When you get up at in the wee hours, sometimes you forget things like those.  I had forgotten to pray that she’d have everything she needed, but He took care of it. 

And the biggest blessing of the day?  Awesome Girl was, well, awesome.  My only prayer was that she’d have fun.  I didn’t even pray about wins and losses, cuz in a tournament you’re going to have plenty of both.  But she had a great day, got into a good rhythm and played very well.  My sports-loving Better Half was so proud of her.  When she came near us, during a break between games, he said to her, “You were awesome!”  She blushed with adorable humility, and the two of them grinned happily at each other.  What could a wife/mother love more?   And yet, I had not asked for that.  Better Half was blessed by his daughter’s skill and effort; Awesome Girl was blessed by her father’s praise.  But not because I’d asked.  

I'm very, very thankful that we don't have to ask for everything, but God does expect us to come to Him.  There are dozens of verses that command, instruct, and encourage us to ask of Him what we desire.  Philippians 4:6 says to ask with thanksgiving.  Matthew 6:33 says to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and everything we need will be added to us.  James 4:3 cautions us not to ask amiss.   So by all means, ask!  But be expecting more than you ask for!

~ "Your Father in heaven knows the things you have need of, 

before you ask Him." ~

Matthew 6:8