Have you ever prayed one of those idiotic prayers where you say something stupid like, “God, if you give me a parking space right in front, I will never doubt you again!”
I thought I was a mature Christian who was not subject to immature bargains with God, yet…
When I was shopping yesterday with Amy, I was desperate for Amy to find a pair of shoes in her size. I don’t like shopping, but we needed to buy her black shoes for a concert. Here was a pair that almost fit her, at a price I was willing to pay, but we needed it 1/2 a size bigger!
I looked up and down the shelves but only saw a pair one size bigger and one size smaller. “Please God, let there be a pair in 5 1/2, not 5 and not 6. I will never doubt your love for me again if you get me this pair of shoes in 5 1/2!” Totally stupid and immature, I know.
But you know, God indulges us sometimes.
I swear I looked on those shelves at least 3 times and didn’t find a 5 1/2. And guess what? You got it. Right after I prayed, Amy says, “Oh, here is a 5 1/2!”
“Oh depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful woman!”
As Peter owned up to his own inadequacy and his lack of faith, so I once again see that God is so much bigger than I am, all-knowing, all-loving. It’s not that I doubted God’s love for me, but I am just an immature silly little kid. And God smiles at me as a loving Father, puts a gentle arm around me, sort of ruffles up my hair and says, “Of course I am here for you. ”
Thank you, Dad.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
[…] I thought about that for a moment. We often pray silly prayers, selfish prayers, prayers of no consequence. Like the time I prayed for shoes. […]