IS THAT YOUR HAT?

Often well-intentioned folks will admonish knowingly “be careful what you pray for, you may get it.” The comment is generally followed with knowing nods and nervous laughter from those within earshot. Let’s step back and think this through. The first question that must be asked is; what do we believe? If we believe that God would answer any prayer with something harmful, what does that say of God? To believe that God punishes us for any reason when we go to Him in prayer is to reject the true nature of God, all knowing, all-powerful and all loving. As the carpenter taught, you cannot get sweet and bitter water from the same well. Additionally some have stated that all prayers are answered just sometimes the answer is no. This also denies the true nature of God, for God is always in the affirmative, never in the negative.

We have all said prayers that seemingly were not answered. The reason for this is simple: “We often pray for things for which we are not really prepared; but if we pray scientifically this will not matter, since Creative intelligence will send us the thing that we really need” Emmet Fox. So clearly a loving, all powerful, all knowing God provides what we need, the perfect hat, but our outlining of what we perceive we need or what the answer should look like, a different hat, that causes us difficulty. Consider the parable of the lost man: A man is lost in the arctic. He prays to God for rescue. As if on queue, a trapper appears and offers to lead the man out. He replies, “Thanks, but I have prayed and God will rescue me” the trapper, shaking his head continues on his way. Some time passes and a man on a snowmobile arrives and offers the man a ride out. Again he replies “Thanks, but I have prayed and God will rescue me” stunned, he drives away. As night begins to fall a helicopter appears and the pilot calls down over his loudspeaker “A hunter and snowmobile rider reported you were stranded out here” begging the man to get on board, for when night falls he will freeze to death. The man remains steadfast in his belief, the helicopter pilot reluctantly turns his craft and disappears in the distance, his heart sick for he knows the man‘s fate is sealed. The sun sets and in short order the man finds himself standing before God. Incredulous he asks God “Where were you? I prayed and you never came.” God, in a quiet voice with a tear in his eye responded “Of course I came. I sent a trapper, a snowmobile and a helicopter to rescue you.”

Often we already have the right hat (demonstration) in our possession, unable to recognize it for we have outlined a different solution, a hat we are ill-prepared to wear. Perhaps an inventory of hats is in order? Just a suggestion.