“Always agree. Never say “no” and don’t refuse anything he asks you.”
These were Father’s instructions to me for living with an alcoholic, and frankly I was appalled. So I paced back and forth in my empty living room and rubbed the back of my neck while imagining various impossible requests.
“What if he asks me to do something illegal or immoral? I can’t do that!” I replied.
“Stall him by saying you’ll think about it, then bring the request to Me.” Father answered.
It didn’t take long for that test to arrive.
Meantime, Hunny asked me several things that caused me to pause. Some of them were simply foolish, like spending our last $20 going out to dinner when we could eat at home. But per my instructions, I agreed and went along with him. Amazingly, that dinner was extremely enjoyable and I would have missed out had I refused. The best result came afterward when we didn’t need that $20 before our next paycheck.
Each time I felt the urge to disagree or refuse, I stopped and asked if it was illegal or immoral? If it wasn’t, then I put my own wishes aside and agreed. Interestingly, I discovered how micro-managing I had been toward life. Not that my decisions were wrong, but they were simply my opinion. Regardless of how much common sense or educated sense I had, my thwarted wishes exposed a reverence for my own opinion, a pretty humbling revelation.
Another side-effect was discovering how Father can level the playing field. Regardless of the inherent rightness or wrongness of an idea, God is simply God. He can change it.
When Hunny asked me to go to the bar with him, I hesitated. It wasn’t illegal, but the immorality was a grey area that society wouldn’t have hesitated to color black. I struggled with the decision even as I went with him.
It turned into a regular request, and even without resolution, I continued to go. Sometimes Father rewarded me by introducing me to interesting people, and once my reward was free rein of the stage, lights and music, where I danced my heart out for several hours. No one was watching, so I imagined twirling in the cosmos, or sharing my stage with great performers.
But gradually through the months, the mostly depressing atmosphere was simply wearing me out. I’d work all day and spend all night at a bar. It was exhausting. So I went to Father and asked for intervention.
Two days later, Hunny said “I don’t want you to go to the bars with me anymore. Not because I don’t enjoy your company, but because it just isn’t right and I don’t want you to do it anymore. You don’t belong there”.
Well, you could have pushed me over with the proverbial feather in that moment of surprise.
Father answered my smallest request, and it was no harder for Him to fix a foolish decision than an immoral one, or even an illegal one, which He proved a couple years later.
We saw the flashing lights behind our van and Hunny pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex. We both knew he would be going to jail because he didn’t have a license. He had never resolved his last DUI.
But oddly I had a sudden surge of boldness and strength overtake me, and I knew Hunny was not going to jail this night.
I grabbed his ball-cap off his head, and scrunched it onto my own as I pulled at him while I shinnied around him into the drivers seat. I couldn’t blame Hunny for the idea. He told me “No, we’re not doing this. I’m not letting you go to jail” and he was a real pain in the neck while he resisted me. Finally I said “We’re trading seats! DO IT NOW!” My heart pounded and I prayed that Father had my back.
The officer looked at my licence and simply said we had a headlight out. Hunny got out to inspect it, and with the officer following him, he gave it a thump with the backside of his fist, and it came on. They were both surprised and we all exited the parking lot without further complication.
No, I don’t advocate illegal activity. I simply believe that particular moment was orchestrated by a little demon trying to bring his own brand of justice into our lives, but Father had other plans.
Hunny had been delivered from alcoholism 2 years before that incident, but didn’t have the faith to face his DUI, yet. I believe Father held that confrontation at bay until Hunny was ready to trust Him. And later when he did, Father showed up lavishing great grace into the courtroom. (but that’s another story)
You could take a Bible full of scriptures to prove me wrong and make the case that God would never cover sin or stall justice, but that would never undo His actions in my life. Those scriptures have been used in a very wrong way for a very long time, because that’s exactly what Jesus did when He went to the cross. He covered sin and paid the price for justice, Himself.
Father’s request that I stop saying “no” was His very character and Spirit. He has no negativity or rejection. He is a Father of “Yes, and Amen”.
So ask Him what you will and be prepared for Him to pull out the stops and show you His Love.