The Right Question

Have you ever seen the movie "I, Robot"? Will Smith plays a cop/detective who ends up investigating the murder of his mentor. Since the movie is set way in the future (where cars drive themselves and basically everyone has a personal robot), the mentor figure left behind a trail of breadcrumbs for Smith's character to follow through an interactive hologram of the mentor. Whenever Smith's character would reach a turning point in the investigation, he would light up a device and ask the hologram-ed mentor a question. Sometimes, the hologram would reply that it did not understand the question, but when the detective did hit a nerve with the hologram that would lead to the next "bread crumb" of the investigation. If this description is rather convoluted, you can watch a clip of the movie with Smith interacting with the hologram below.

Last night at InterVarsity, the student who presented on hearing God said something that I've been turning over in my mind all day. When going through transitions and making decisions, sometimes we ask God the wrong questions. For example, if a graduating student feels like they are being led to go to a certain university, but receives mixed and mostly negative feedback from friends and family, they might become frustrated feel like they should ask God if they are supposed to go to that university or if they are hearing right...and those aren't bad questions to ask. However, the real reason they are asking God those questions is because they are frustrated that others aren't believing them. The right question to ask might be, "God, why am I so frustrated that my friends do not seem on board with my decision that I am convinced You are leading me to make?"

Lately I've decided to be more proactive in my prayer life - not sectioning God off to a certain time everyday, but choosing to always be in conversation with Him. A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask questions - and, so, questions have really fueled and expanded my relationship with the Lord...and I feel like I am learning to ask the right questions.

This morning in the shower I was thinking about a close friend that I've had since high school who has been through the worst battles with mysterious health issues, spirituality, and finances since we were roommates in college. She and her husband have fallen in and out of so many religions and have been around the Christian circles long enough to be deeply wounded by them. It has really broken my heart to watch them both go through these battles...and it's been even worse knowing that I possess the hope they need, but can't offer it to them because they have so much venom towards anything remotely about Jesus. *sigh* I've prayed for them both for such a long time, but not really seen or felt much change. I was just instructing God on what I thought He should do to remedy the situation.  Finally, for the first time I can remember since praying for them for years, I asked God, "What is your strategy to redeem them?"  I didn't get an answer, but I did get what I felt like was a smile from God - a genuine grin that said, "Now you get it! That's the way to pray." I think my soul is too loud right now for Him to answer because it is so excited that there is finally a sense of movement in my prayers for them. As I quiet my soul in the coming days and keep asking questions, I believe God will answer.

I'm going to keep asking Him that question for them...and I'm going to keep trying to learn to ask the right questions.

Thank You for teaching me how to pray, Holy Spirit. I so anxiously await Your answers and strategies. I am so excited to work alongside You, because all of Your works are good. Amen.