A few months ago, our college son reached out to tell us that his school’s choir would be given an opportunity to take a trip over spring break to sing in some cathedrals and other places in Brussels and Amsterdam. He was beyond excited for his first opportunity to travel abroad, and he was encouraged by the generally reasonable cost of the trip. A few weeks later, he reached out and let us know that he’d have to pay the deposit to secure his spot by November 1st. Then, a week or so later, he messaged me that he was stressed about figuring out where the money would come from. (“Reasonable” is still a stretch for a college student!) After this third message, I turned to Jim and said, “I really want to help him.” Jim’s response was that we could discuss what that might look like, but he really wanted our son to ask for help. In the moment, I just felt like Jim was being difficult: Didn’t he want to bestow great gifts on his son? Why make it hard on him? But Jim wisely knew something that God was also in the process of (re)teaching me.
On a Sunday morning around that same time, I got up, showered, and as is my habit, made my way to my quiet time chair downstairs with my coffee in hand. I had just received a 6am text that let me know I would need to miss worship that morning because we were shorthanded in the Boro. I sat in the chair and began quietly praying aloud for various things, and, with my hands open, made my way around to asking God to bring people to the Boro. I got specific about what we needed that day (as well as overall), and then I said something like, “Lord, I know you love these kids and want them to learn about you. I know that you love me and that you want me to experience corporate worship. I know that this matters to you. God, please help us. Please help me. Please provide a way for me to go to church today.”
When I arrived at church, I informed a sub that her class would be closed because I didn’t have another adult to be in the room with her. Then, I talked to a 3-year-old teacher and let her know that we would have to close her class for the same reason. I suggested that instead of fully closing it, we could divide up the 3-year-olds into the toddler room and the pre-K room.
With two disappointed teachers, a closed class, and totally at the end of my resources, God once again stepped in and did what only He could do.
In the middle of one my conversations, a volunteer showed up and said she was there to teach 4th and 5thgrade. There had been a communication breakdown, and no one knew she was coming. Not caring how it had happened, I raced to chase down the other sub and introduced the two ladies to one another. Then I made my way back to the 3-year-old room. The teacher in that room had taken charge of the divided class situation, standing in the doorway and redirecting the parents and small handful of kids that had shown up for class that day. She did this with confidence and a smile on her face, and I saw a leader standing before me.
“Hey, how would you feel about floating in the hallway for me this morning so I can go to worship?” I asked. She immediately agreed. I showed her what to do, connected her with the coordinator for that service, and walked into the auditorium a few minutes later, totally amazed that every single need had just been met.
Over the next week I thought about what God had done, and I asked myself, “Why are we hesitant to ask God for help?” And today I ask, why are you? Perhaps it’s because we're hoping that He will just take pity and step in. Maybe it’s because we have asked already and are tired of asking. Or maybe it is that we confuse hopeful acknowledgement (“God, this is hard!”) with actually asking for help. For me, it’s often that I think I can figure it out on my own. (That’s laughable, of course.) But the truth is, He wants us to ask. And when we do, He delights in knowing how we will respond to his generosity. That morning in the Boro felt like an extravagant feast set for a girl who had boldly asked for a square meal.
*****
When our son was home for fall break, we had a conversation in person, and he did ask for help with his trip. Jim and I talked privately and came to an agreement on what we could do, and when we let him know what we were thinking, he was grateful. And of all the byproducts of asking God for help in prayer, gratitude is one of the best. A grateful heart delights the Lord.
When we ask God to move, we acknowledge our dependence. We get to experience His glory again, which reminds us that He is faithful and reliable. Waiting for us to ask isn’t withholding goodness; it is a loving gesture that strengthens our relationship, clarifies our position, and grows our trust. It is a privilege to kneel before the throne and ask for help from the only one with power to help, and He never tires of our neediness.
What do you need to ask for today?
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” -Matthew 7:11