Hey! You Need To Move! - Part II

Okey Dokey, here is part two of my story. I didn't get it posted when I wanted, we just had too much going on. Anyway, here is the rest of it. What happened next was interesting (to me anyhow). If you ever had any doubts that I'm a freak, this will remove them...Ron

Hey! You Need to Move! - Part II
Now she has my full attention, as they say in poker “I’m all in”. I turn my body toward her and make sure we have locked eyes. I speak slowly and clearly so there is no misunderstanding what I’m about to say. “Miss, if you would have asked me to move, I would gladly changed seats with your friend”. What she says next is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever heard. She responds by saying “I did ask! I told you that you needed to move!” Did I hear her right, isn’t that something a four year old would say? I let her words sink in and I try to respond as calmly as I can “No, you didn’t ask, you told me to move, there’s a difference. If you would have asked, I would have moved.” I try best I can to put on smile, then turn away and go back to sleeping. I can hear her huffing and puffing as she dials her friend back on her cell phone. I hear the phone ring in front us, as the kids like to say "It's On Now". She tells her friend how she “asked” me to move but I refused. At this point I realize that she thinks I am evil and embody all that’s wrong with my generation. I briefly open my eyes only to catch her friend staring daggers at me. If looks could kill, I’d be worm food.

As I’m sitting there with my eyes closed, I think about what has just transpired. I would love to give her a piece of my mind. I would feel so much better if I could just let her have it, but I know I can’t. As I’m berating her in my mind, I’m interrupted by my own thoughts. This new thought says to me “You know Ron you do the same thing that she does. You’re no different than her.” What in the world, where did this come from? The thought continues by saying “Whenever you pray to the Lord you do the same thing. You don’t ask, you demand. You go before God with a plan of what you want, how you want it and when you want it. You tell God that you’ve got it figured out and that He simply needs to do as you say and everything will be just fine. When you do this you’re just as rude and arrogant as she is. Basically, you tell God what she told you: Hey! Y ou Need To Move!” I realize this isn’t my conscious, this is something much, much bigger. I know it’s not from me cause I’m simply not that smart. I open my eyes and I’m reminded of the scripture that says “You do not have, because you do not ask.” I sit and think of what this means. Lot of folks like to think this is a guarentee that means if I ask God for anything, I’m guaranteed it to get it from Him: If I name it then I can claim it. Personally, I don’t think that this is what it means. I think back to what just happened with my young neighbor. I think to myself that if only this young lady would have softened her attitude a bit, admitted she needed my help and been honest with me about what she wanted – I would have done what she wanted, I would have moved. In the same way, I now realize that’s what God wants from me. He wants me to humbly (but confidently) come to Him, admit my need for Him and be honest about what I want and why. If I approach Him in this manner then He will hear and answer my prayer. Wow - I wasn't ready for this. I wanted to rest and I got a lesson on prayer. I wanted to go home and I get spanked by Holy Spirit.

Now you probably weren’t expecting a Sunday School lesson but either was I. You’re also probably expecting something to happen between myself and the young lady sitting next to me, like me changing seats with her friend. I’m sorry to disappoint you but it doesn’t happen. I don’t move and neither does she, we don’t speak for the entire flight. I prayed to Lord and asked Him if I should move. I’ll be honest I didn’t feel the need to move. Nor do I feel guilty for not moving. Believe it or not but many times it’s okay not to feel bad when you tell someone no. I also don’t think by volunteering to move I would have done her any favors. I’m not exactly sure that what happened between us helped either, but I’m not going to reinforce her negative behavior by giving into her demands. I really don’t think God feels bad when we demand that He to do something and He denies our request. Nor do I believe we should feel bad when we're put in the same situation.

Anyway that's it, hope you're not too disappointed. No act of gallantry or chivarly on my part. I simply got a reminder that at times my attitude is really no different than those who tick me off......Later