The "Why" Game.

     Happy beautiful Wednesday! It’s been a while. Things have become extremely busy on this end, and they probably will continue to be busy. (It’s a good thing) However, my summer is officially here and as always my prayer is that I grow to be more intentional about maximizing my time and using it to come here and share. (Because honestly, God is always saying something… I just need to be obedient and share it. Pray saints, LOL!)

     I am preparing to go to Ghana this coming Monday (June 8th, 2017) and while I have a count down in my head, I don’t think reality has set in for me yet that I will be visiting Africa, again. Gratitude to the highest degree, but it just hasn’t hit me yet.  However, God has had me in an interesting space. Can I be honest? (Isn’t that the goal here, in this space? In the waiting space?) I have been playing the questions game with God for about a week and half now. I mean, I am asking Him “why” to everything I encounter. Every thought, every decision, every annoyance, everything that tickles me, everything that hurts me, bothers me, stresses me and gives me butterflies. Why God? Where’d that come from? Where’d I learn to respond to XYZ, that way? And if I am going to be even more honest, playing the questions game with God has been the most stressful yet liberating things I might have experienced in my entire life…

Then it hit me.

     A lot of believers know to ask God questions (they are aware that they “can” and that it is “encouraged” to do so, but won’t ask God every question.) It’s weird. It’s almost another way the enemy keeps us in bondage. (We don't ask, so we don't get the help we need, and so then we handle thing in our own wisdom...and boom, fail.) 

     When you were a child, your only source of information came from your parents, siblings and anyone that your parents found worthy enough to be around you, to have influence. It was in those same people… that you got questions answered, behaviors developed, mentalities created, perspectives were shaped, and foundational pieces of you were born etc. Most children, without understanding the weight of the question “why” ask, “why” to everything. Though an annoyance to the parent, most parents will go for long periods of time engaging in the back and fourth, “why” “why” “why” exchange. First and foremost, because they were amused by it. (How cute was it to know and see that your child has grown to be inquisitive?)   Secondly, they care enough to explain. Simple. Third, because they understand that you really just, do not know, and so it provides a moment of teaching and bringing clarity. It creates the relationship dynamic of, “I’m your parent, and you’re my child.. there is nothing that you can’t ask me.”

     Why don’t we see God in the same light? Why don’t we see Him as our father, who will go for rounds with us in the ring with questions, explanations and bringing clarity? Where did we learn to filter what we ask?

     What made this week so liberating I believe was my ability to be authentic in my skin and tell the Lord the things I had learned through people, oppose to His word, and where I had questions. I even reminded myself that I can ask Him, “why” when it came to His word and to trust that He’ll explain that too.

     Can I be honest? My prayer is that you get to know God for yourself. I think, it’s extremely hard for people to love and obey a God they do not know. The word of God says, “If you love me….” Then it continues on to, “keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) The interesting thing about that statement is that it is a conditional statement.

IF…..YOU…..LOVE….ME…..

Then….

     I pray whoever is reading this finds freedom in knowing that it is okay to admit to God that you want to love Him…genuinely and authentically. Not through someone else’s experiences, but your own. I pray that, you feel comfortable asking the Holy spirit to assist your heart and lifestyle in such a way that you begin to experience God, for yourself and not out of tradition, or religion, or simply because your grandma went to church all her and your life.

     There’s something that comes so free-flowingly out of loving and being in love with someone. When you love someone, honey…you don’t mind being inconvenienced by them. (read that again, because you know, I’m telling the truth.) I mean, the-break your sleep at 3am, you gotta get up at 6 am type of inconvenience. The, can we go get something to eat, and you on your last dollar but your boo hungry type of inconvenience. Or, can you cook that one meal I like, and that one meal they like take all Sunday to fix, so you up early cooking… LOL! The SAME happens with God. When you love Him, I mean really have taken the time to get to know Him for yourself…the type of love it births! Then, now you love him, love who He is, His characteristics and His word… then….being obedient comes easy. It comes as another way of saying, “I love you” so I’ll do XYZ. I’ll follow them commands, because I trust you and because of experiences, I KNOW YOU.

     So, I had one of those weeks with God. (Still am, if I’m honest) And it’s refreshing. It’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s HARD…because I’m older.. I’m more mature, and some of the things I SHOULD know, I don’t. (Or some of the things other told me I should know.) And so, its placing me back in this position of “but why” God, and it’s uncomfortable because for a while, I didn’t need to ask Him why, I just… was like, “eh, ok.”  However, this space also shakes things up because God loves to talk, God loves to teach and honey He loves to show up and show you how things work and so where I thought I had him figured out, He so sweetly is reminding me, “babygirl there is MORE in Him. “

So that’s where I’ve been.

I pray, that today you be real with where you are, what you’re into, what your needs are and the questions you may have, and like the cute 3 year old self you once were, go ask God, “why?”

I promise He will answer.

I promise He cares.

I promise your questions won’t offend Him.

I promise He’ll chuckle with you.

I promise He won’t grow tired of you.

I promise there’s nothing you can ask that you ‘oughta be ashamed of… (he wants to know all of you, even the parts the world shames)
I promise, you’re His child even if you feel or have been distant.

I promise He loves you with a love you’ve never experienced, which is endless….and unconditional…

I promise there’s more to Him….

I promise if you want more of Him just say so and He will flood your space…we want experiences not just encounters of Him.  

It’s ok to not know and its even more ok to ask.

XoXoXoX,

Alicia Elizabeth

P.S,

I don’t know if I am going to have wifi in Ghana, so if that is the case, I will be on the roll with maybe 2-3 post a week starting the week I return.

A little secret: I absolutely love when you all read my post, and I appreciate it more than words can ever express. I pray this was encouraging. If you ever have any questions, thoughts or just want to comment on the topic slide in my DM’s on Facebook, IG, Snapchat or even Youtube…I promise I’ll respond.

The age in which questions were endless...baby Alicia. LOL!