the power in simply asking

I sit down at the table with my three younger cousins and hungrily grab a piece of bread from the basket. My cousins do the same, and soon we’ve eaten all of it. Although our main entrees are coming, we feel that urgent need to fill our bellies and decide to ask our waiter (who’s SUPER nice) for more bread. She immediately grabs a bread basket from a nearby, unoccupied table and gives it to us. Us kids all eagerly grab some more bread.

Literally two minutes later, this man who’s not our waiter (but is a waiter to other tables) strolls up to our table with a basket of bread and says, “More bread?”

​My cousin (who’s twelve) says yes, and we all grab more. A minute later,

“More bread?”
“Yes, yes!”

This repeats itself a few more times until we had gotten six baskets of bread. The next time he came, saying,

“More bread?”
My cousin: “Yes, yes!”
Me (patting my full stomach): “Noooooooooooo!!”

Welp, now we have seven baskets to finish, plus the appetizer, main course, and dessert.

The assistant waiter ended up giving us more baskets too, and at the end of the night we had received nine baskets of bread. Now, let me put this in perspective. We’re all younger than sixteen and two of my cousins are under ten (one is only 7!) In each basket were six pieces of bread. That makes forty-five pieces of bread for four kids under sixteen. I’d say we finished about thirty-five or more of those pieces (we didn’t like the brown bread, hehe)! And if we all had an equal share, we’d each have eaten at least eight pieces!!

Also, before I move on, I want to give a shout out to the amazing Royal Caribbean dining team- y’all were amaaaazing and thank you so much for waiting on us and for being so kind!! I will always remember you all and hope to come back soon! <3

So here’s the thing. When we asked for more bread, we expected to get only one basket of bread. Instead, the waiters/waitresses went above and beyond, giving us nine times what we’d asked for!

This is similar to our relationship with God. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you," Matthew 7:7 says. Also, Matthew 7:11 says, "​If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Notice that both verses have that important little word ask in there. Ask, and God will answer. Ask, and it will be given to you. Look for something, and you'll find it. He gives abundantly and above what we expect. Ephesians 3:20a says, "To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." Immeasurably more. 

All we need to do is ask. Like when my cousins and I asked for an extra basket of bread, thinking we would only get one more, instead we received eight more. You will never know what you are missing until you ask. Ask for wisdom. Ask for a heart of love for others. Ask for peace. Ask for freedom. Ask for anything.

My little brother loves to ask questions. Literally during dinner time, it's filled with all his questions and requests: Can I have another oreo cookie after dinner? Can I have a paw patrol for Christmas? Can I go outside? Can I watch Huckle Cat? Can I watch Super Wings? Why is Mars the ketchup planet? Why does God know everything? Can I have pancakes for breakfast? Can I have a cookie? Please? 

But you know what? He gets a lot more than some of us, because we don't even try to ask. We don't have the same childlike faith as he does. He asks because he knows he can get it, and we should be asking knowing that God will answer.

And in His perfect timing, He will answer. 1 John 5:14 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." We must ask according to His will, however. Don't ask for fifteen spouses, He won't give that to you. I don't think that's part of His will for you, because He created man to have only one wife. But if you ask for something that is according to His will, it'll be given to you, and more.

​All you have to do is ask.