I find this morning's two threads most interesting. I didn't want to include the following under Trapper's most recent "how?" thread, because I don't know what direction he wants that thread to go - so I started a new one.
Just this morning I found myself in a conversation with my daughter. Once again, I was telling her, step by step, what to do. It hit me, all at once, like a ton of bricks, that I was "playing the role of God"...
but not HIS true role (in reality)...
but the role that people (who question His very existence) EXPECT Him to play "if He exists at all"....
Most of us know that He exists. He just IS. And He does, in fact, know our needs before we do. But He
wants us to go to Him to ask for answers...not just expect them of Him! To me, God is the ultimate authority. I believe that He WANTS me to question Him, go to Him and ASK of Him, but since He is the ultimate authority, I'm not so sure He wants me to question His authority. Then again, I am not fully iodinated yet since I am still detoxing mercury. (God ain't done with me yet!)
Just like God wants US to go to HIM, I am presently trying to teach my own daughter to ASK for help, instead of blindly "expecting" it of me.
I know I'm behind on laundry this morning. My daughter was out of warm long pants. I remind her almost nightly she must keep track of her dirty clothes if she wants ME to wash them, or she will find herself digging through the dirty laundry to find a pair. IOW, she must ASK. It happened again this morning. Hopefully she will learn. I guess I need to take the next step and quit reminding her at night, too...I probably sound like a nag, and thus, I am basically teaching her to IGNORE me. She won't truly appreciate the fact I exist unless she gets into dire straits!
People question the authority of God all the time. In effect, they want Him to "sh_t them a miracle" - but He restrains Himself because He gave us free will. If we want or need something from Him, we must ASK. Just like we are trying to teach our own children that when they need something of us, they shouldn't just blindly EXPECT us to be there for them.
They must come to us and ASK us for our help. When we constantly jump in and intercede for them (because yes, we know what they need before they themselves know), are we teaching them anything? Yeah, we're teaching them to NOT be self-reliant...and we're also denying them something else...the ability to know the difference between being able to do for themselves, and knowing when they truly NEED someone else's aid.