Option 3

Often, too often, when we pray we give God an ultimatum. Lord is it choice X or choice Y?

We forget to leave space for God to offer a different option - His Will for our life.

There are paths we can take that seem safe and religious and even right, but they may well be a disguised trap to lure us away from His simple Truth.

Come, give me your burdens and let me carry you is the invitation we are offered. We generally try to hold on to the troubles and be carried, but Jesus wants us to lay those fears down and rest in His arms.

What is your weight today? What is your burden?

Perhaps it's financial. Maybe it's a career choice. Should we have another baby?

So many choices we all wrestle with and all seem like a "yes" or "no" answer is what we need. Perhaps we need something different.

In the movie Brewster's Millions from years ago, the protagonist, Monty Brewster, is given a task: spend $30m in 30 days and he will inherit $500m. But at the end of the 30 days he must stand with nothing but the clothes on his back. He must get value for his money, nothing frivolous.

As part of his attempt to chew through the money for the prize he runs for mayor under the slogan "None of The Above". As the job would carry a substantial salary he would lose the inheritance if he takes it. So he withdraws for the greater prize that is to come.

I'm sure the allegory was unintentional, but it rings true in me tonight as I write. My prayers recently have included the phrase "or whatever You have in mind for me, Lord."

Things change. I've had offers come in I'd never have dreamed of and the doors are opening faster that I could have imagined. Granted some will close again, but the important thing is that I couldn't even see the doors before. Now they are opening to me and a myriad of potential futures awaits me.

So I'll keep this short.

Remember when we pray that it's not always "either or".

Stay open to option 3.