Saturday, August 22, 2009

The audacity of the request

I don't ask for much...I need to ask for more. In this past mess of medical bills etc. someone asked one of my Doctors to forgive my debt to them. I was a bit taken back that 1. he would assume to ask for me 2. that he would ask for such an audacious thing. Long story short, the debt was not forgiven but halved. This gave me pause. Can things really be that simple? Just ask? I am always taken back by those who do...you know, the people who ask you to do this, take you there, give you money, use your stuff. I am always so surprised by the request that I usually say yes when I really wanted to say no. I am so impressed with the audacity to ask. I may even talk to the hospital and see what they can do about the money I owe them :).

We are supposed to ask, I think. I know God invites our requests all the time. I think we need to make the requests Big and Bold but not in the Santa Clause kind of way. There are boundaries to requests not only on the human side but also in the heavenly side of things. We don't get because we don't ask...interesting Bible verse! SO what are you asking for lately?
I asked the school to forgive my first two months tuition until we get some financial control over the bills? I haven't heard yet how they will respond, but I asked.

What if they say no...what if what we asked to happen does not. What if we don't heal, don't get the raise, don't get married, have a child, get that job, stop that addiction, get happy and the million other audacious requests? Does the relationship hinge on the request being granted? When you say no to a request does that change the relationship you have with that person? It can, but should it?

I want to be a person who asks extravagantly not only with my heavenly Father but with others. But in the same audacity be OK with the no's, maybe's and not right now's. You see, just because I ask doesn't mean it will be granted, but I need to ask anyway.

No comments: