Thursday, November 17, 2005
Aladdin's Lamp
Despite knowing otherwise, I often find myself thinking that God is like Aladdin's genie - He's allotted me a limited number of answers to prayer. Then I worry that I've used up my allottment on petty things like "Please God, help me find my keys" or "Dear Lord, let me get a parking space close to the office" and so I'll never get any really BIG things.
Like Aladdin and his genie, this thinking is fantasy. Described more appropriately, it's a big fat lie! Unfortunately, I tend to enjoy the fantasies. Aladdin may have only had three wishes, but he also only had to rub that magic lamp. He didn't have to wait long for his wish to be fullfilled.
And therein lies the problem. I lack the patience. I lack the faith to wait. It doesn't take much faith to rub a lamp. You dont' really risk anything. And if anyone makes fun of you for doing something so childish as rub a lamp, you can always say you were just cleaning it not wishing on it. Prayer takes faith, and faith takes...faith.
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I found myself doing something similar recently. It was more along the lines of, "I'll just pray about this part of the problem, because the whole problem is so big, and if God just fixes this part then we can manage." As though I use up more of my allottment of answered prayer on big problems. It sounds dumb as soon as I put it into words, of course. Thanks for a post that reminds me not to be dumb. :-)
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