Just Ask

Photo by: Kevin

We're back home in Kalihi with the family and the roosters! Oh how we've missed them!

Ramsey and I really enjoyed our little getaway while dog sitting for our friends. I stayed at their place with Duke for most of the time and we had a blast, although he wasn't too excited to get left behind. Usually when I would leave to pick up Ramsey from work or to run a quick errand, I would hear him bark and whine a bit as I made my way to the elevator. Apparently, the neighbors weren't too pleased that this happened on Sunday morning at 5:00am when I had to drop Ramsey off at church. I came back to a sad little pup and a note taped to the door giving us a "Noise Nuisance Complaint”... whoops. Sorry everyone. 

Other than that, we had a great time. Enjoyed some sunshine at the pool, took Duke for a few more "jogs", shared gelato from across the street and had some good laughs watching an SUV full of grown men trying to fit under the gate and into the parking garage with a surfboard on top of their car! Let's just say there was a whole lot of strategizing and several failed attempts... poor surfboard. 

We are glad to be back home though, roosters and all. Ramsey’s siblings are on spring break, so lots of playing video games, skateboarding at the park, shooting hoops, looking through old photos and we're surfing tonight! Spending more time with family, that’s what we’ve been praying for.
 
Isn’t it funny how sometimes we’re surprised when God answers our prayers? It’s like we ask Him for something and are completely baffled when it actually happens! But why? Why are we so shocked? Is it because we don’t really believe it’s going to happen? That we’re not going to receive what we ask for? Which then begs the question, why DON’T we ask God to begin with? Is what I’m asking God for silly or insignificant? Are we afraid to ask? …Are we afraid of the answer?
 
One of my dad’s favorite verses in the whole Bible is Philippians 4:6. It says:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV)
 
In the past few months, God has been teaching me to ask, to present my requests to Him, no matter the situation.
 
I used to think that asking equated to neediness. Like a whiny child, “Dad, can I have this? Can you buy me this? I reeeeaallly need it!! I reaaally want it!! Can’t I please have it?!” That’s what I thought asking sounded like! I would even guilt-trip myself that if I’m asking God for something, I must not be happy or satisfied with what I do have. And then here’s the real kicker… “I got this. I can figure it out. I’ll just work this many hours to make this much money so I can pay my bills and save up for plane tickets to go home. I can do this all on my own.”  It was never that I thought I didn’t need God, I just wouldn’t ask Him for help.
 
Things all started to change at the end of last year. It had been a few months since I had left my lifeguarding job and was on my “becoming a full-time artist, business owner and entrepreneur” endeavor. For those of you who don’t know, starting a business is a lot harder than you’d think (or want to believe). And it can be especially hard on your finances. This is where Ramsey and I really felt it the most. It wasn’t like I didn’t have any income, but it was pretty minimal. You can imagine the tension this inflicted on our marriage. Still newlyweds, trying to make ends meet, paying off our wedding, combining our finances, bills and loans and now there was nothing steady coming in from my end?! Yikes! Recipe for disaster! … or at least it could have been.

If any of you have seen War Room you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say that my prayers took on a completely different level after watching that movie. My whole perception of “asking” was flipped on its head. I was bold, I was fearless, I was specific and there was nothing too big or too small to ask God for. I started asking God for everything. Not in a needy way or to benefit me and only me, but asking because I believed that it would happen. And here’s the best part: God WANTS us to ask. He LOVES to hear our prayers, petitions and requests. He’s a good Father. He loves to shower His blessings on His kids, if we would only have the heart to ask.
 
For the month of October, I asked God for $1,000 of income. This was a lot for me, more then I was making when I was working 40+ hours a week. I told God it didn’t matter how or where it came from and by the end of the month, He provided $1,177.00 of income!! HALLELUJAH!! I prayed for house sitting jobs, for finances to travel, for an affordable studio, and to be accepted for the assistant coaching job I’d applied for… It all happened. And so much more! Every month I’ve received more then I asked for and God provided WAY more then I was making at my full-time job!!
 
Since then, God has grown my faith exponentially.
 
My monthly ask for $1,000 had turned into $4,000 in March and $60,000 total for the year.
 
I’m asking for a full-ride scholarship for my little sister to go to college.
 
I’m asking God for house sitting jobs and to pay off our debt in less than two years.
 
I’m asking God for artwork commissions.
 
I’m asking God to continue to build relationships with friends and family.
 
I’m asking God that my friends meet Jesus.
 
I’m asking God how to write this blog.
 
…and about a thousand other things. But that’s okay, because there’s nothing too big or too small for God.
 
What are YOU asking for?