My husband and I are trying to eat better.  A few weeks ago, we went out to have steaks.  When my husband was ordering his sides, he decided to skip the loaded baked potato that he would normally get, and he ordered a sweet potato instead (you know, to be healthier, while you’re eating steak).  The waitress asked him if he wanted it “all the way”, and without thinking, he just answered yes.

When his steak came out, the sweet potato was on a separate plate.  Boy, did it need its own plate.  It was covered in marshmallows that had been charred.  From under the marshmallows, you could see butter oozing out along with some caramel sauce.  It was like a decadent dish that you would eat at Thanksgiving dinner.  It was more of a desert than a vegetable. It was “all the way” NOT the healthier option.

Neither one of us thought to ask what “all the way” meant.  It would have been good if we did.

One of my favorite episodes of Ted Lasso involves Ted playing a game of darts with Rupert Manion.  If you’ve never watched the show, Ted is an American football coach that was hired to coach a football team in England. However, in England, football is actually soccer.  Rupert is a vile man that owns a few shares of the club that Ted is coaching.  In this episode, Rupert challenges Ted to a game of darts. If Ted wins, Rupert gives up his share in the team.  If Rupert wins, Ted has to stop coaching.  The stakes are high, and Rupert thinks that Ted from America doesn’t know how to play darts.  In a beautiful monologue, Ted puts Rupert in his place and tells him that he used to play darts every week with his dad. If Rupert had just asked a few questions, instead of assuming, he might have still had his share in the team.

It’s important to ask questions, and it’s okay to ask questions of God.  The Bible is full of questions from God to His people and vice versa. In the first dialogue with man, God asks a question.  God is continually asking questions of Moses, Job, Elijah.  God is not scared of your questions.  He can handle it.

One of the earliest verses that we memorize as children is Matthew 7:7- “Ask and it will be given to you”.  Verse 9 continues “Which of you, if your son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake”.  Not only is there a safety in asking but this also highlights the necessity of an answer.  Your question or request has to be answered appropriately.

I am in a season of life where I am asking God a lot of questions.  A lot.  Mainly it’s “God, what am I supposed to learn from this?” or “God, where are you in this? Please show me?”  But sometimes, it is more aggressive- “God, what is going on here? Where ARE you?” In all of these questions, though, my heart is seeking Him- His will, His plan, or a word from Him.

I just want to encourage you, dear friend, to learn from my sweet potato.  Ask the questions. Be curious. God can handle it.