Imagine that Jesus takes you and me to His personal ice cream shop, sort of a “Cold Stone” and Gelato put together: to treat us for a heavenly treat. The walls are full of every kind of topping imaginable. Sauces innumerable line the countertop. An infinite variety of ice cream flavors causes us to stand, and stare, with our mouths gaping in disbelief.
Jesus looks at us, with love and adoration in His eyes, and says “The sky’s the limit. Choose whatever you want. Don’t worry about the bill, it is on me.” However, to your surprise, I look down, and apprehensively ask, “Lord, if it is not too much trouble, may I please just have a small bowl of vanilla ice cream?”
What would your reaction be? How would He react?
I imagine, He would lovingly say, “Think bigger.”
Have you ever been frightened by your own prayers? What if God is insulted by my large request? Is God even big enough to answer this prayer? What if He says, “No.”? Seriously, if God says “No” what higher authority can I appeal to? I admit I am sometimes guilty of holding back because I don’t want to be disappointed. After all, there have been times it has felt like God has let me down. Times that healing didn’t come. The one thing that I had begged Him to give me… He denied me. There have been many times, in hindsight, I have been very grateful that He said “No.” If I am honest though, there have been a couple of “nos” that broke my heart. I will never fully understand the reasons until I see His wonderful face.
So, how do we trust Him enough to ask Him to open the floodgates of Heaven and bless us? How do we trust Him with our innermost heart when we do not know how He will respond? After all, the Creator of the whole universe doesn’t owe me anything, right?
It is in the middle of such questions that my mind is flooded with memories of times God overwhelmingly provided for me and my loved ones. Times that could have gone very differently.
It helps me to go back to promises in the Bible as well. For example, Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us “He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.” “In all things we are more than conquerors.” Knowing that He wants me to trust Him. To trust Him when I can’t see how things are going to work out. I wonder what scary, awesome thing God wants to do in my life and Church? Yes, we live in troubled times but I find myself filled with crazy hope when I hear the words “open the floodgates of Heaven.” I do not want to miss an ounce of what He has in store. I want to see even more people freed from addiction, more lives healed, and more relationships restored.
Prayer
Dearest Father, thank you for your many over-the-top blessings. Help me to see all the ways you are working in and around me. Help me to not miss celebrating what you are doing today and what you are going to do tomorrow. Thank you most of all for your presence. Amen.
