When you ask, God speaks.

God does not always answer as quickly as we would like when we ask. Sometimes we ask wrongly. Sometimes He says wait. Sometimes He says no. Then there are those times which are rare. One day while living in Orlando, I was in the backyard, intently questioning God while watering our new lime tree. I was in a deep state of pondering what He was wanting me to do next. I knew change in my life was coming. I could sense it. It was palpable. But I was clueless as to what it was to be. As I kept pouring the water on this lime tree, I was intensely in my own mind thinking and wrestling with thoughts of failure, thoughts of opportunity, but mostly thoughts of hope and desire to be who God wanted me to be. I remember saying, ‘God, what am I to do?’ Then, thud, crunch. Something hit the roof, bounced and landed in a pile of leaves over in the corner of the yard about fifteen feet from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I had only caught the crunch as it landed in the leaves. I immediately thought it was some poor squirrel which had lost his grip in the tall oak tree right next to our house, and then got whopped senseless by the roof on his way to the pile of leaves on the ground. But it didn’t move. Was it knocked out? Was it dead? Was it a squirrel? Our two dogs came slowly walking toward it, sniffing cautiously to figure out what this was. I put down the hose and kept my eye on this pile as I walked over to it. You can imagine, in my mind was this crazed squirrel which would gain consciousness about the time I got over there, and the ‘Mississippi Squirrel Revival’ would play out in real time in my back yard.  Well it wasn’t a stunned squirrel. It was a fish. About ten inches long. Yep. I stood there with a look on my face you will get to see when we replay this video in heaven and God says to everyone, ‘Watch his face !!!’  Stuff happens sometimes. God speaks. I don’t know what else to tell you. In that moment, when I had just asked, ‘God, what am I to do?’ I sensed Him saying, ‘Doug…fisher of men!’ You think I’m making this up. I’m not. Comedy writers love to make up stories like this. This one is true. A fish lands on the roof, then bounces to the ground right at the moment I asked God a question. As I thought about what had just happened, I realized an Osprey had obviously lost its grip on a fish. We lived real close to a lake and there was a retention pond just behind our house. I did not see the Osprey, but I did see the fish. I can relive that moment anytime I want. I can see the lime tree, the hose, the water, the dogs, the St. Augustine grass, the pile of leaves…and the fish.

God answered my prayer. Not in a traditional way. Most of the time it is a simple nudge on my soul, a sense in my Spirit what He wants, a scripture He reminds me of or guides me to. Sometimes it is a perfectly timed chapter in a book, or a blog I read. Sometimes it is a word from a friend who follows Christ too. And yes, sometimes He says no, or not yet, or not now. But sense I know Him and He has my best interest at heart, I trust Him.

What are you intently asking Him? Look for His answer.