You Don’t Have to Pray About Some Things

My uncle Allen is pretty remarkable. He’s 75, works full time and goes to the gym. He even says he works out when he’s there. His Christian faith is as deep as I’ve ever known among anyone. But there’s something more remarkable about my uncle Allen.

For the past 2 years he’s taken his 81 year old, Rollator-using sister (my mother) and his own walker-using wife to the beach for a week. He loads them up, their walkers and all their stuff, drives them 4 hours to the beach and repeats the process in reverse. And the walker-walking women are absolutely no help. Except my mom is vocal in her advice on how to pack (and about everything else).

He’s a brave and gracious man. But as some say, no good deed goes unpunished. Tuesday afternoon my mom’s hip hopped out…probably the 10th time over the past few years. The orthopedic surgeon at the hospital set it back in place and said there’s damage that will need to be surgically repaired. Until then she will need 24 hour care.

Well, Allen, enjoy the rest of your vacation. Instead he decided it best to come on home. Pack up, load up again. This time with a more immobile geriatric than which he started the trip. Did I mention that he’s 75 years old? I told him I’d drive down the next morning to help him. He said, It’s a long drive. Pray about it.

There are things to pray about. Should I marry this person? Buy this house? Take this job?

But there’s some things you don’t need to pray about. This was one of them. Why would God say, “No, Dennis, don’t go help those senior citizens, including a gimpy one that happens to be your mother”?

When God told Abraham to leave his home, did Abraham say, “Let me pray about it first”?

When Jesus told Peter to come walk on the water with Him, did Peter need to pray about it?

Did Noah ask God for time to pray about building the ark? I might’ve asked God to reconsider His plans.

I know someone who felt a very strong command to leave her home in California and come back to North Carolina. She didn’t stop to pray about it. She loaded her stuff up that day and left with a sense of urgency as if California was rapidly slipping into the Pacific. That was almost a year ago and she’s been on an amazing journey with the Lord. He’s helped her grow in her faith and overcome strongholds.

I heard Francis Chan say that people don’t need to pray about adopting. Of course God wants you to adopt!

I’m all for prayer. But sometimes I wonder if God is saying, “Get up and get going!”