“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

I am a teacher. Therefore, from the months of August to May, I have no life. It’s planning, grading, regrading, and mentoring the majority of my waking hours. This intensive lifestyle is probably why I enjoy my vacation time so thoroughly. And one of my favorite summer pastimes is traveling with my hubby.

While we have many similarities, one character trait that I have come to admire about my husband that is completely different from me is his unmitigated “nervy-ness.” The man knows no fear: not in traveling to new places, not in meeting new people, not in getting involved in new — and sometimes scary! — activities. He’s the first to extend a hand to a stranger. The first to jump from the twenty-five-foot ledge when we went cliff diving in the Dominican Republic. And there I am, the self-conscious introvert, marveling in awe at his God-given confidence. 

When we travel by plane, it is absolutely nothing to him to ask almost immediately for an upgrade in seating. At hotels, I’ve even seen him ask halfway through our stay if a room with a hot tub has become available! When my husband wants something, he simply asks for it. And the most amazing thing is … he usually gets it!

Sometimes in my Christian life I forget that getting an answer from God is sometimes as simple as just asking. Sometimes I get too busy. Sometimes I assume my request is too insignificant; or that I can handle it myself; or that I have too many “major” requests already in God’s inbox and “isn’t it about time I take care of some of my problems myself?” And, to be honest, sometimes I just don’t think to ask Him. 

God is more than just an omnipotent power figure hovering over us. He is a Father that delights in hearing each and every need we bring before Him. A real relationship with Him involves asking - daily! - for the things we need, with the same sort of boldness my husband demonstrates each time he asks for an upgrade. And just as I am always looking for ways to bring a smile to my children’s face, I imagine that God is much the same way with me. But it does require me to come to Him and ask first.

On some days, it is just for the strength to make it through one more pre-Spring Break lesson where my students would rather throw pencils at the ceiling than put them to paper. Other times it’s for wisdom in making the right decisions for our family or for our future. 

Whether large or small, significant or trivial, I encourage you to open up that line of communication with Him today. He can’t wait to hear from you. And who knows? He might be just about to upgrade your life.

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