Ask

Here is my secret:  I am really, really bad at asking for things, especially from my Father in Heaven and from my family.  When I was younger, I learned that it didn't matter what I asked for, I was probably going to have to figure it out by myself.  So for the most part, I also learned that I could not rely on others.  It was a lot easier in my life to just assume I had to do whatever it was on my own, than to ask for help and be disappointed because someone didn't come through for me.  The good part about that is that I am extremely self-reliant.  The bad part about that is that when I really need help, I don't ask for it.

So for the latest phases in my adult life, the Lord has been trying to show me that He is not as unreliable as the rest of the human race and that if I really need something, I can ask for it.  They are painful lessons, I might add.  Change is really hard, especially if it means that by asking you have to put yourself out there and be vulnerable and I would rather just handle it on my own.  (PS I am sure that is why the Lord has sent me so many children.  I cannot possibly keep up with them all on my own.  I need His help and the help of my spouse and periodically the help of my ward.  If I had fewer children and they were spaced farther apart, I would just handle it all on my own.  Nice, huh?)

Last weekend, we had a stake relief society function to celebrate the Relief Society's birthday.  Their guest speaker was a dear friend of mine who at one time had served as one of my counselors when I was the ward young women president.  Her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.  This past year has been a whirlwind ride for them as they have moved, sold their home, started cancer treatments and just tried to embrace what the Lord has had in store for them.  She is truly an amazing woman and I dearly, dearly love her and her attitude!  It was a sweet activity.

For the luncheon, they had little party favors on the table.  They were colored glass rectangles (mine is purple, but they had yellow, green, blue, brown, etc...), held up by a little wood block and on them was written one word, either 'ask,' 'kneel,' or 'listen.'  You know which one I got right??  Yep.  Mine says 'ask'.

And this week, I have a story that matches my theme.

For the last three years, I have wanted a new blender.  I had one that worked.  In fact, I had three, the $20-$30 ones, with a glass mixing thingy.  Over the last few years, I had broken all of them.  One was usable but was chipped on the top and you had to be careful or you would cut yourself.  I use my blender almost every day to make smoothies, or blender pancakes, or to blend up vegetables for soup, or to make strawberry jam. 

Thursday I had invited our missionaries over for dinner and they wanted broccoli cheese soup for dinner.  No problem.  I have mad soup making skills!  Earlier that morning, I moved the blender forward to make smoothies at lunch.  The blender was not securely placed into the motor.  As I moved it forward, the glass thingy wobbled and fell right onto my beautiful green tile counter tops and shattered into a million pieces.  Ugh!

 Thinking quickly on my feet, I remembered it was grocery shopping day.  No problem.  I will just buy another $40.00 blender at Costco and use my household budget money.  Sweet! 

I got to Costco late.....like at 3:30, with dinner guests coming at 5.  Went to the blender aisle.  No $40.00 blender.  What??!!!  It was here last week!  Frustration.  They had the $500.00 blender I have wanted, but didn't feel like I could justify that.  And they had a $150.00 blender that was on sale for $120.00.  I still didn't feel like I could justify that.  I went on with my shopping.

Somewhere in the middle of shopping I had the thought, I should just call Drew and tell him my dilemma and ask him what he thinks I should do.  A few minutes later, I did just that.  (I also needed diapers that week that usually don't come out of the household budget.)  After a few minutes of negotiation, Drew suggests that I pay for the diapers out of the household budget and he will take the blender money out of another budget category and I can have the $150.00 blender!!!  Sweet!!  I am all over that!  And I got my Ninja blender from Costco!  I really wanted a heavy duty blender because I want to make hummus.  I love hummus and it is so expensive!

So the point is:  Ask your Father in Heaven for the things you need.  There are some principles regarding asking that we should discuss later.  But we'll save that for later.  Have a great day!