Be careful what you wish for...

[James81]

I wanted to share a quote with you that really rocked me when I heard it. And it came from an completely unlikely source (a movie...a comedy at that).

Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?

--God, Evan Almighty

That's the gist of what I wanted to share, but I have to say that that is true in my own personal life.

When I was younger and really into church, I used to pray everyday that God would give me wisdom. At the time, I really didn't think about HOW God might give me wisdom, but a part of me just expected for God to just dump that knowledge onto me.

The reality of the situation was, that instead of giving me wisdom, "God" (or whatever you want to call it ) gave me opportunities to seek wisdom. And those opportunities weren't touchy feely goody experiences. They were really hard, emotionally turbulent years of my life where everything fell apart and I was driven to find solutions to all the messes I created.

At this point, I don't consider myself "wise," but I can say that I feel like that prayer (intention) has been answered for me in that I've learned so much from the situations that I have been in that drove me to seek out the truth on how to cope and deal with the issues.

It's also made me realize that the beginning of wisdom is the realization that we are truly ignorant. (can't remember which philosopher said that, Socrates?) And that's the truth. I realize just how little I know when I am pressed, and that feeling drives me to find new ways to grow.

Does anybody else have any experiences like this that you'd like to share? Has anybody else noticed that sometimes we get exactly what we ask for, but realize that it's not at all what we had in mind when we asked for it?

[cacheborn]

Good post.
Coincidentally, I saw the movie couple of weeks back and it struck a chord in me. It also reminded me of the famous story of a man caught in flood. He denies help from a boat and a helicopter saying God will save me. he dies and goes to heaven to meet god. He asks God, "Why didn't you save me?" God says, "Who do you think sent the boat and the helicoptor?"

When you ask for something, it will not come to you on a silver platter. You will be given the material and you will have to cook your own meal. Or find the restaurant where they make the dish you want.

[NeedMyCoffee]

Originally Posted by cacheborn

Good post.
When you ask for something, it will not come to you on a silver platter. You will be given the material and you will have to cook your own meal. Or find the restaurant where they make the dish you want.

But if I find the restaurant, they just might serve it on a silver platter!

[Parthon]

God doesn't give you what you want, he gives you opportunities for you to get it yourself.

It's the journey and not the destination that makes the all difference.

[Zas]

I grew up Mormon having this "pain with purpose" stuff hammered into my head from when I was very very leetle . . . Plus my mom came from an impoverished culture so she was always desperately telling us how hard things are (to protect us from intense unfairnesses she experienced, I suppose.)

It's now the concept that I could have what I want that's sorta blowing my mind, making my eyes go big like a five-year-old in a candy store, making me want to fall onto my knees and start crying with joy that things can be good like this (or just that people can live internally free like this), etc, heh.