A Laughing Faith

There is often a disconnect between what we say we believe about God and how we actually live in a relationship with God.  In a phone conversation with a friend from long years ago, I heard him saying,  "There I was," he said, "worrying about how God was going to do something when He is the God of the universe."  And then the phone was filled with a kind of wild exuberant laughter.  He was not asking for a mountain to be moved.  He only wanted some way to help a colleague in ministry who needed some help.   

Is it not true that we often forget to Whom we are praying?  Is it not true that we have many times decided God cannot do what we are asking even as we ask it?  How many times have we prayed, doubting that God is really able to make a difference?  Maybe, we need to take a good look at what we are praying and then take a good look at what the Word says about the power of God.  To do so would likely put us in the boat with my friend, laughing at the absurdity of not believing God can handle the simple stuff!    

Honestly, not many of us have seen any mountains moving, but we have seen the sparrow flitting around inside the care of God.  Maybe our toothache was not removed without going to the dentist, but many a cancer patient has walked away from a treatment room free of that disease.  We might say that not all our prayers have received the answer we sought, but if we were keeping records, we would have a long list of moments when this God of the universe did what we did not think He would, or could do.  When we ask, seek, and knock, and then live with doubt, we need to step back and remember Who it is that is hearing our prayers.  Maybe even laugh at ourselves, too.