Sunday, August 30, 2009

Running in the Dark: ASKING in Prayer

I haven't blogged in SO long! But today something happened to me that I really must share!
I got up at 5:00 a.m. this morning with hopes of reading the Bible, praying, and then jogging - all before having to get the whole family ready for church. Well, I kept reading and praying as I waited for the sun to come up, because I wanted to drive to the park and jog. But kept getting later and later - and it was still dark. The thought of jogging in the dark was - quite frankly - a little scary! So I began praying about my plans...asking God if I should go jog or just stay home. He answered me so clearly in Scripture, I knew for sure He wanted to go! It was a verse in Song of Solomon in which the Lover tells His Beloved to get up and come with Him! Now, looking back, I am so very glad I did!
As I drove to the park, I noted just how dark it was. I wondered again if this was even a good idea. What if I got hurt? What if somebody attacks me? Who would be around to help me?..etc... For a moment I thought about how nice it would be if a policeman might just HAPPEN to be there so he could watch out for me. I then considered praying and asking God if He'd send a policeman. But it seemed like too much to ask, so I just dismissed the whole silly notion.
Well, I got there around 5:50, and just as you might imagine, nobody was there. It was still very dark. There were some lights on, but some were burned out. I started jogging in the dark. About 15 minutes later I was startled to look up and find that there was somebody else on the track! There was just enough light for me to see what appeared to be an older man, and he was walking. I kept jogging - and as I passed him, I looked over at him to see if it might be somebody I knew (and if he looked like a "bad guy" or not!). Well, guess who it was?! It was a policeman! He used to be our chief of police here in Springville! As soon as I saw his face, I knew what God had done! I began to laugh and smile and run like the wind! I ended up running two full miles - without a break (not my usual routine), and I don't remember even one time hearing my usual heavy breathing or racing heart!!!
See, God has been teaching me some new lessons on prayer. One of my recent lessons has been that there are some things we won't receive unless we ASK. And on my way to the park, I did NOT ask. My reasoning was that it was "too much to ask." Now I have the stark awareness that there is no such thing as "too much to ask" with our Almighty God! I also have a better understanding of what He means in Ephesians 3:20-21 when He reminds us that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ASK or IMAGINE!! See, I'd IMAGINED it, but didn't go through with asking. Yet, He did it! And He didn't just send a policeman - He did more than that. He send the CHIEF!
The chief was only there for one short lap, and then he was gone...just as mysteriously as he'd appeared - Just long enough for God to make His point. The rest of the time I just trusted that whether or not God sent me a policeman, He knows my thoughts and hears my prayers. He Himself is with me to take care of my needs. Nothing is too much to ask...

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