In the 2006 film, The Pursuit of Happyness1, Chris Gardner's son, Christopher, told a story that goes something like this: Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "No thanks, God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "No thanks, God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two big boats, you dummy!"
I never forgot this story since I saw the movie. I didn't get to finish the movie, but I love this story!
In a way, we are very much like the drowning man. We pray to God for help, for Him to answer our prayers. But we miss those answers because we're too focused on what's “ideal” for us, and we ignore what's already being sent our way. For some of us, we see pass the simple answer because we're expecting something extravagant. While for others, the answers may not be what we wanted. So we ignore them deliberately and wait some more. Only to become frustrated afterward.
I believe, however, that our God is a practical, as well as a miraculous God. And His timing is always perfect.
I remember one time when I was engaged in business with a group of people, a partnership which I felt wasn't working out for me anymore. It got me to the point of praying “God, if it is your will for me to continue this, please give me strength, if you have something better for me, please give me an exit.
In a few minutes, my exit came in the form of a partner's phone call. We had a conversation, I saw a clear sign from that conversation, and I gave my resignation that morning.
Still clueless as to what my next career move would be, I received a phone call from someone that afternoon, he asked how I was, I said I resigned, and he told me that the actual reason for his call was to ask me if I wanted to hop aboard his company.
You see how God's perfect timing and provision are at work!?
Other times, His answers could already be events that have come to past... Events that equipped us to pull through our present moment of struggle; It may be our ability to discern what is right and wrong; Or it may even be gifts that we had since we were born.
In a sense, God may have already answered our prayers long before we even knew what we would pray for. And perhaps, we should keep in mind that it is not God who fails to answer prayers. It is us who fail to see the answers!
Most of the time, what we ask from God are shortcuts, anyway, and not really the solution to our problems. Like when we want a million bucks. Wouldn't we be happier if He just dropped the money on our lap, instead of Him giving us a hundred bucks and a way to grow that money to a million?
Well, some of us may really deserve that instant million. But for most, it would mean missing the chance to build our character while we get to that million. Hence, the old Jewish proverb “I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.”
And wouldn't it be easier if we just learn how to be grateful for whatever God sends us, instead of trying to manipulate His answers? He knows what's best for us anyway...
Let's not try to be dummies!
1 For more information about the movie, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454921/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness
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