Day 16: A Cool Question

I was up late last night. I'd the early evening with girlfriends mourning the loss of our friend's husband, which was profound and powerful and good in that way that difficult, unthinkable things can sometimes be. When I got home, the Celtics were being annihilated by the Lakers, so I turned that off and reached for the book I'd started earlier in the day, a memoir with the improbable title, Evolving in Monkeytown.

The author shared some things about her spiritual search that gripped me--describing that feeling I've sensed lately of knowing the basics of what you believe, but losing your grip (which was probably too tight anyway) on the finer points, such as how those beliefs might apply to a particular Wednesday afternoon. It was like having coffee with a new friend who gets exactly where you are...and doesn't try to move or change you.

At the end of the book I was more awake than ever, so I went online to listen to a talk given by the friend who died last month, Andrew (I know that sounds morbid, but it was actually pretty wonderful). He asked this SPECTACULAR question: "What will prompt us to ask for more from our experience of God?"

I'd never heard it put like that before. I've certainly been subject to admonishments to give more to God, or be better for God, or pray harder/longer/louder in faith that God would come through. And perhaps it has been suggested (maybe even clearly--I'm not always so quick to catch on) that our relationship with God can change and grow over time. But for whatever reason, Andrew's wording just struck me. And I wondered: What would prompt me to ask for more from my experience of God? I shuffled up to bed mulling over this question.

Apparently, the answer is Andrew: his wise words, heard four weeks after his death. He's prompting me to ask for more of my experience of God--today, right now. (Which is a powerful thing to consider if you're someone who longs to leave a legacy).

I'll be honest: I'm not sure what I'm asking for, or how I'll know if my prayer is answered. Strangely, this feels good--like I'm diving into the mystery of God rather than wading in slowly, trusting God to outline the parameters of both my prayer (he knows what I mean, even if I don't) and his answer.

Want to join me? Ask. Let's jump into the sea of question marks and ask God for more from our experience of him....and see what that means.

If you're in, drop a comment below and say, "I asked!" :)