“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” -Isaiah 55:1 (ESV)
My 1970s family only traveled to visit relatives. So, it was a real stretch for me to present the extravagant idea of a vacation to Disney World. It was a heart dream, which I first shared with my mom thinking she would talk to dad. She didn’t volunteer. If I wanted us to go, I needed to ask my dad.
I walked away feeling sad. It seemed too high a price to pay. I argued with myself for days: “I can’t ask. But I really want to go! Then ask dad. I can’t. Why not? It’s a huge risk. What’s the risk? The worst he’ll say is no. Right, dad might say no, and I’m not sure my heart could take it.” There it was, the root of my despair. I wanted something I didn’t need. I was afraid to ask my dad for such an extravagant wish. Worst of all, I was afraid he would turn me away in shame.
Finally, my desire to go overcame my fear of asking. With all the boldness I could muster, I approached my dad. My head hung low. My voice was barely audible, and my eyes welled with tears. I asked, though I was sure I was going to faint.
But my dad, who had said "no" plenty of times before, pulled me in for a hug. He saw how hard it was for me to ask and recognized the depth of my desire for this trip as a family. My dad said, “
Yes!”
As I reflect on this memory, I realize my dad wasn’t the problem. He loved me, and if he was able, he would give me just about anything. He only turned me down if he thought I would be hurt. How much more does our perfect Heavenly Father desire to give us good things—even extravagant things (Matthew 7:11, ESV).
Do you ever have wild ideas you can’t accomplish on your own? The only answer is to take it to your Father. Do you react like I did? Are you afraid to ask Father God to help you with your extravagant dream? I pray His desire in you will be greater than your fear of asking!
{photo: @stephespineli}
Lisa Brittain
SATURDAY WRITER
Lisa Brittain and her husband, Randy, will soon be married 30 years. Together they are parents of two adult sons and share their home with three adopted pups. By day Lisa works as a receptionist at the local middle school. However, her mission is to reveal the important voice of each woman and teach her how to share her overcoming God stories
.
It is Lisa’s true passion for Jesus and introducing women to Him, which flows in and through and around all the open moments of her everyday life.
Connect with Lisa on her blog
here.
