“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.”- Psalm 5:1
As Chapter 5 of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day concludes, Mark Batterson tells of the time his daughter Summer asked a question out of nowhere: “Dad, why did God create mosquitoes?” Then Summer added: “I’ve been saving that question for God for two years.”
Pastor Batterson observes that we all have questions we’re saving for God- especially those related to our ministry downsizing or vocation loss. As the author notes, at some point in our spiritual journeys we run smack dab into reality. The result is spiritual whiplash, because simple answers don’t suffice and we no longer can fit God into those neat little boxes He used to fit into so nicely. Psychologists refer to this as “cognitive dissonance”- when something happens that doesn’t jibe with what we believe.
Pastor Batterson states that dissonance comes in two primary flavors: (1) unanswerable questions and (2) unexplainable experiences. When we pray, we may be unable to find the words to describe our sense of loss. Yet God is considering our sighing- and the Holy Spirit is interceding for us, as the author describes:
“Long before you woke up this morning the Holy Spirit was interceding for you. And long after you go to bed tonight, the Holy Spirit will still be interceding for you.”
Today’s question: What specific questions related to your ministry downsizing or vocation loss are you saving for God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The butterfly effect”
