Sunday, January 27, 2013

Scripture Sunday: When should we stop asking?

In interesting thought came to me while doing my BSF lesson last week. In Genesis 18:22-33, Abraham has a conversation with God and asks Him the same question several different ways. The question in our lesson was: Should Abraham have stopped asking?
My first thought was, “Once God answers, I should stop asking.”
But the teaching leader brought up a point I hadn’t thought of before:
As Abraham was asking, it wasn’t God who was changing. Abraham was simply coming into alignment with God’s plan.
God already knew how many righteous people were in Sodom. Abraham kept asking God how many people it would take to spare the city, lowering the number each time. By continuing to ask, the Lord gave Abraham time to come to peace about God’s judgment.
I’ve thought several times lately about how I clearly heard from God three years ago that our family was to be a family of four. I tried and tried to come to peace about that, only to end up back in the place of wanting another child every time.
And yet, here we are. Staring down a DS cycle next month.
God chose to have our family walk this path, for R and I to learn communication, empathy, understanding, and patience, and we are blessed because of it.
I don’t know how this cycle will turn out. If it works, I know it isn’t God who changed. After all, SSA moved out so we’d just be back to a family of four.
But more than that, if it doesn’t work, all these years of asking, of praying, of returning to the same thing over and over again, has brought me to a place of peace. If the answer is No, I’ll be okay.
My God has heard me. He walked me through the bargaining and the questioning and the pleading to the place where I am at peace with His decision.
When should I stop asking? When I am at peace.

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