Inspirational: God and The Chinese Take Out Menu

Just as if Matthew Henson was starting out on his first expedition to the North Pole,

My eyes slowly yet intently scanned over a Chinese Food take out menu. Starting at the top left from appetizers to combination plates, carefully musing over each item as if I was studying for a college final exam. I gently turned to the back page where the Luncheon Specials were listed. I knew I needed to make a decision some time within this year, but what? What would I choose? Okay, okay…ummm. Oh, I will have….ummm. Oh, I know! I’ll take the Sweet and Sour Chicken with fried rice and an egg roll!

If it were possible for scientist to track the DNA of the food I have consumed over the course of thirty years, they would discover my chromosomes are actually made up of Sweet and Sour Chicken with fried rice and an egg roll.  So why do I have a hard time of deciding which item will I select on a menu that has over 8 choices of appetizers, 6 choices of soup, 30 combination plates, 42 luncheon specials and I won’t tell you how many Chef’s Specialties are listed. In fact, why is my choice always the same?

There are a host of exotic dishes which I have not experienced as of yet, for instance; “Dragon meets Phoenix, Bean Sprout Egg Foo Young, Beef with Szechuan Style or Roast Pork with Oyster Sauce.”  As is my relationship with God lately, I have come to a place where I only request of him the basic ‘keep my family and myself healthy, safe and help us pay our bills blessings’. It working, we are happy and God is happy so why rock the boat?

Although our God is the same God that we can in trust in daily, His mercy is new every morning! Our struggles and challenges may be the same, yet he wants to make new ways out of no way and rivers in a dry land.  Reluctantly, I recently visited the predominantly black Baptist church I grew up in over 20 years ago. I remember each Sunday service you could expect the same course of events. Two or three hymnals, women loosing their wig piece during a Holy Ghost shout, a scripture reading, offering plate and the hooping and groaning of the preacher’s sermon, that a you could set a clock by indicating the end of the service. The outer core of the building was the same, yet the inside had expanded with the extension of an east and west wing, a basketball court with an additional kitchen. However, it was just not the inner physical appearance that had been updated. The landscape of people had changed. No longer was the totality of leadership, held by white haired black men, growing slowly out of touch with how to apply scripture to the present day realities. There were young black and white men leading the services, on the deacon board, on the usher board and in the choir! As I glanced through the congregation I saw white and black couples, Asians, young, old intertwined with black people, all worshiping the same God, within the same walls. The biblical messages were taught with inspiration of the Holy Spirit and with love as the speakers applied the scriptures to our present situations.

I have been challenged to continue revisiting situations and places of my past with an open mind to discover things I have missed initially. Our God is doing a new thing, he wants us to pray with a refreshed mind and attitude, because eyes have not seen, ears have not heard all the things God has in store for us.  I have even decided to try a different entrée at the Chinese restaurant, to discover what else I have been missing.

Inspirational: " You didn't ask..."

One Sunday, while contemplating leaving the church building at the beginning of the service, a woman came to me and asked, " What were you going to do?"After a few short explainations to each other, we both found we were too late to enter the services because the main santuary was full, and neither of us was willing to go to the venue upstairs. She explained, she was troubled and needed prayer. Only moments before we met , I had was questioning the Lord about what I should do, and here was this dear woman, standing in the need of prayer. She had been walking around the foyer praying and asking God specifically for someone who could pray with her about an issue that had been troubling her, and that the person could relate with her and could understand what she was going through. As she began to share her story, I was amazed at how much we were alike, same spiritual gifts, same desire to help others simular struggles and even divorced twice! By the time the service was over she had pour her heart out, and even though we never really prayed, God ministered to her very needs while she was sharing with me. Her face was beaming with joy as she finished. Knowing that God would answer her desires, even if it was having just the right person to talk with. I myself was amazed, with how specifically and quickly God worked as she gave him praises while walking off, for answering her prayers. I quickly turned to God, puzzled because I had some needs, that I wanted address also, yet they remained unanswered. So, I asked God, for at that moment it seemed that not only was he listening, but we were in a place where we could hear his response. So I asked him, what about me, why didn't you answer my prayers? In his still small voice I clearly heard him say, "You didn't ask..... "
How many times have we worried about situations, because we didn't do as the old spiritual song said to "carry every thing to God in prayer? " Thinking that our situation is too small, or that God has so many other people to worry about, why should he waste his time answering your prayer ? He truly is a loving God, who is concerned with every aspect of our lives. If it's important enough for you to consider it, debate about it, wonder even wish about it. It concerns him. He wants us to share our every thought with him, so that can display his loving kindness in every aspect of our lives. Does this mean every prayer will be answered right away? By no means, no. Allowing God the opportunity to participate in our trials and struggles, draws us closer to him as we learn how loving, gentle and kind he is. When can learn to see him as the warrior as he fights for us, the provider as resources opens up to us. There are so many aspects of the God we serve, that each time we "ask" him to be involved, we gain greater understanding of who he is in our lives. Don't miss out on an opportunity to learn of him... just ask.