Ask, and ye shall receive

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8

Some people in my life know the saga over my contract for my new job. Originally placed in the Department of Environment back in June, I met with a lady from HR before leaving for South Africa, and was told the contract would be with me within a week or so. Cue almost 3 months of frustration! I've always been somebody who likes to be in control. I think it's a human nature thing to some extent, although some are better at letting go than others. I've definitely learnt a lot over the past couple of years, thanks in part to going off travelling by myself, about relaxing when I don't know what's going on. In this case, though, I think the fact that it was linked to the career I was sure God had put in my path, that actually made me frustrated that I didn't know what was going on.

At first, having not heard anything for a couple of weeks, I decided to email the department. No luck: not even a reply. I decided, in a super-spiritual moment, that I would "trust God" with the situation, and not talk about it to anyone. However, the weeks grew into months without a reply: I was sending more and more forceful emails without anything coming back. Once again, I "gave it over" to the Lord, but this time I was also telling anyone who would listen what was going on: 'You won't believe this, they're not even replying to my emails!' I began to doubt that this job would even happen: perhaps they were actually having second thoughts about employing me, having realised I'm actually a total fraud and totally ill-equipped for the job in hand. My confidence levels were plummeting.

Finally, about 2 weeks ago, I decided to email the Fast Stream team who placed me at Defra, and things started to happen. I felt kinda bad though, like I had ratted on someone to get my way, and thought I had marked myself down as one who kicks the cradle when he's not happy. At least I got a response, I thought. However, still no contract! I had asked for it to come by yesterday, if at all possible, if its not too much trouble, thanks ever so much, what. When it didn't, I thought I'd be "mature" about it and leave it another day before emailing to politely demand its whereabouts.

Having just emailed them, I sat there at my desk, and said to God, "What is going on? God, I trust you, I think, and I don't want to demand anything of you: when you're timing comes, then the contract will come." This whole summer felt like a real test in patience, and my inability to keep my bitching mouth shut about it all summer showed how little I had. Then a voice, well, one that was only audible to me, inside my head, said:

"Well, have you actually asked me for the contract?"

It hit me like a flipping freight train. I hadn't asked God once to actually give me the contract! It felt too demanding, like why would God go out of his way to do that for me, when there's much more important things in the world like people starving, lost children who don't know their heavenly Father, and all that? But the voice didn't come from me, so I decided to obey it.

"Ok God, yes, please give me the contract. I know that you're in control, and the world's not ending without it, but I really would like it now, ok?"

It felt a little weird praying like that. Just now I had to go and fetch somebody from down in town: a 10 minute pickup turned into almost an hour of errand running. When I got back, hot and a little tired from sitting in a car in the sun with no air-con, there sitting in my inbox is two emails from Defra: one with the contract, the other with details of my first posting! God's timing is not lost on me. I checked the time that the contract was sent from the Shared Service Directorate (who write the contracts) to the lady at Defra, and it was at 10.55 this morning: before I sent the email.

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8

" Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" Matthew 7:7

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." John 15:7

I could go on and on. It makes me realise that there are so many things in this world that we don't ask for: we just assume God will do them in His timing. God didn't give us prayer just to ask, but that is one of the main reasons for it: to present our requests to God! And He does answer. If He cares about the little, how much more does He care about the world and its big problems? Blows my mind. And our role in this?

"He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3: 20-21