"Oh I think I see one hiding back there!" I shouted to my friend. I could see the top of its head peeking out from the back of the highest shelf of the drug store refrigerator. I wasn't certain that it was the flavor of Faygo pop that I wanted (Red), but I figured it couldn't hurt to reach up there and pull it down just to see.
As I began to reach back in the cooler, I realized that the bottle of pop was a lot farther away than I expected. I'm 5'9" and have EXTREMELY long arms that have assisted many a "vertically challenged" stranger in stores over the years. But, here I was in need of getting something off a shelf and there was no one taller than me around. So, since I couldn't reach it myself from where I was standing, I decided there was only one option:
Climb. In. The. Refrigerator.
Just as I was getting ready to hop on a shelf, a store clerk popped out of nowhere and asked my friend and I what was going on. When we explained that I was trying to find out if the bottle back there was Faygo Red, he looked at me and said, "We have plenty more in the back. All you have to do is ask and I can go back there and get it for you." So I asked if he could get a Faygo Red and also a Rock & Rye, and within minutes he returned with both bottles especially for me.
In that little moment, I heard the Holy Spirit drop two words in my spirit: "just ask."
You see, as an only child and as a teacher, I have spent a lot of my life making things happen on my own. Even as a kid, I can remember many a time after completing a task and beaming up to my parents, "I did it ALL BY MYSELF."
However, in this season of my life, the Lord is constantly showing me that I am not in this life alone. I need community/the body. More importantly, I need to realize that it is He who is the supreme "doer." There are many things that I can accomplish independently but without the Lord's help, there is great struggle. I believe that this is a season where many of the things I need are already laid up for me; all I have to do is ASK if I want to receive them. The struggle is over. I serve a great High Priest and can come boldly before Him to ask for help in time of need. As The Message Bible states,
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. ~ Heb. 4:14-16
Lord, make me not afraid to ask in Your Name. I accept Your help in time of need.
