Just Ask

My daughter and I went on a road trip a few days ago to deliver a cheesecake to Sam, a nice young man in college.  I’d met him last year at a youth group all-nighter he’d attended as a friend of one of our group’s teens, and he is now one of my friends on Facebook.  A few months ago, Sam jokingly asked when I was going to make a cheesecake for him.  I told him he’d have to wait until his birthday.  He probably thought I was joking, too, because we’re really only acquaintances and he lives a distance away, but I was serious.

I like doing things for people, but I don’t always know what to do or for whom to do it, so it’s nice when people make their needs or desires known.  I’ve been reflecting, as I often do, on how some people often ask for things and get them and how others don’t and miss out.  Has that ever happened to you?  Or are you one of those people who is not afraid to ask?  A young girl in our church is very bold about asking for things, and she’s so cute she often gets what she asks for, but her older brother is a bit more reserved... and mature.  I think he has learned something from her though, because I’ve noticed that he has loosened up a bit and will sometimes sheepishly seek to obtain what he desires.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”  (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9).  And in James’ letter, as recorded in the Bible, James said, “...you have not, because you ask not”  (James 4:2).  Now, we know that we don’t always get everything we ask for.  James also said, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives...”  (James 4:3)  And just like any good parent, our Heavenly Father knows when to say, “No or not yet” for our good and for the good of others.  So knowing that God gives good things to those who ask, “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”  (Hebrews 4:16).  Just ask!

Adding a Special Touch

“Give, and it shall be given unto you...”  --Luke 6:38

Josh, a young man from our church, celebrated his seventeenth birthday yesterday.  My oldest son held a gaming day in our home in his honor, and my daughter made a scrumptiously rich chocolate ganache cake for him.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to go the extra mile or add that special touch for someone?  Why?  My daughter, Tiffany, is very creative and likes to add special touches to things, so maybe you’re just one of those people.  But isn’t it easier to do it for someone who is either kind and lovable or who seems to need it?  Josh is both kind and lovable, even though he can be a bit weird at times... but what teenaged boy isn’t?  So although Tiffany probably would have added that special touch for almost anyone, Josh has made it easy to find delight in doing so.  Happy birthday, Josh!

Bearing Blossoms and Fruit

He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.  --Isaiah 27:6

 

[Jesus] spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.  --Luke 13:6-9

How would you feel if you planted a tree or bush and it never bore any fruit... especially if you had to pay a price for it?  We bought our plum tree, a cherry tree, and two pear trees about four years ago.  Our cherry tree produced a lot of blossoms and cherries this year.  Our pear trees have one miniature-sized pear between the pair of them despite the abundance of spring blossoms, and our plum tree had this one lone purple jewel.  While I don’t fully understand why the other twelve baby plums abandoned the tree early on, and even though the one that remained was slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball, I am grateful it bore fruit again this year.  It gives me hope for the future.

Have I borne any fruit this year?  I think so... although I’m sure I haven’t been as productive as I could’ve or should’ve been.  The Lord is gracious and slow to anger, but I sure hope He doesn’t find it necessary to dig about and ‘dung’ me in order to make me more fruitful.