Being Ridiculous

If people knew all of the conversations I have with God or some of the questions I've asked Him, they'd either say, "Yep, that's Linda" or they'd say, "That's ridiculous!" But what if being born again is so total a rebirth that even our mental faculties are now infused with child-likeness enabling us to see the world through different eyes by taking away our "adult" filters?

One of the first times I recall asking God a "ridiculous" question and getting an answer was as a new believer on a breezy day when I watched and listened as the wind rustled through swaying trees. After a while I asked Him, "Lord, what are the trees saying?" (Now mind you, I was 30 years old!) As quickly as I said it, I got an image of 1 Chronicles 16, a book I hadn't even read up until that time.  While reading the chapter, I was stunned to read in verse 33 Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord". I laughed out loud.

It taught me so much in those early years about a God who was approachable, always listening, and who knew the intentions and motives of my heart. I didn't (and still don't) have the sense to know that these kinds of child-like prayers are not spiritual enough to rate a response.

Where Moses dared to tread

As I said in the prior post "Bothering God" - it's not about the request, itself. It's all about relationship. Moses dared to ask God, "Show me your glory". He asked GOD what?! Guess what: God answered in a resplendent display of glory to a man He called His "friend". Moses started out in Exodus chapter 3 afraid to even look at God, but by chapter 33 it reads "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.  A friend gets to ask you to come over at the last minute and can drop by at any time. A friend can spot you a dollar or two when you're broke. A friend wants to know what's on your mind when you look distressed.

Great news: Jesus calls us friends. (John 15:15) ...I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 
A friend would never call your questions or you ridiculous.

Two years ago I had one of the most incredible answers ever to a "ridiculous" prayer:

The Travel Dream

I had two nights in a row of what I call "annoying travel dreams". You know; you get on the subway (or whatever mode of transit you use), realize you missed your stop, try to get a train going back but it leads to another state, then you get on a bus and it breaks down in a desert so you hitch a ride and end up back on the same subway train... I woke up exhausted! So the third night, before going to bed, I tearfully begged, "Oh Lord please do not let me have another ANNOYING TRAVEL DREAM! I can't take it. Please...."

I could never describe what happened, but let's just say that night I had another travel dream:  to the galaxies! Words wouldn't do it justice but all I could say in the dream over and over again was, "Great are your works, Oh Lord. Great are your works". I wonder if He set me up those other nights just to sweeten the prize.

So.. the night before publishing this I was in the country, gazing at the night time sky through my sun roof. I said, Lord it would be so cool if I could see something.. like a satellite going by. Well, what do you think happened next....

Bothering God

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times: "God must be sick and tired of hearing from me" or "I guess I'll just live with this because I don't want to ask for it again and keep bothering God".

Bothering God. Is that really possible? Is there a set quota on how many times we get to appeal to Him before He says, "You again? ENOUGH!"  Does God have a bed time? Days off?

I call myself "God's whiny child" because I like to complain, anyway. I figure I might as well complain to Him. Why keep talking to myself? Do I expect Him to address my every complaint? No. Should I keep  praying for promises He already said He's given me? I can, but don't need to.  Should I keep praying for something when He's already told me that the answer is to  obey Him, repent or forgive? Of course not.

Do I expect Him to care about everything from my illnesses to my argument with Mom to my spiritual dryness to my fear of the dark to finding my lost keys? I know He does. One of my mentors said, "If it's important to you, it's important to God." When I bring Him even my whiny complaints it's because I know deep down that it's really about the relationship. The fact that there's somebody at the other end of the line who's listening and who cares.

The Psalmist complained through 2/3 of his psalms. Most were what we could consider "legitimate complaints", but boy, did he have a LOT of them. I've always been blessed by how many times God has surprised me with answers even to my un-uttered wishes! It's not about me and how important I am to  God. It's about God and how loving, gracious, generous, thoughtful and merciful a Father He is. So - go ahead. Ask Him. You know you want to.