I can try my hand at baking, but once I'm expected to cook a full blown meal I choke. When I say I'm bad in the kitchen, I've been known to burn pasta which is widely understood as impossible.
But the biggest thing about why I'm genuinely terrible in the kitchen is this: I wash my hands about 10 times whilst making spaghetti bolognaise therefore it takes at least an hour. My guests are left hungry. My stress levels rise. I lose my ability to multi-task. I fail as a woman.
Confession: I hate getting my hands dirty.
This serious flaw in my personality is outworked like this: I dislike gardening, I'm no good at painting, I'm pretty rubbish at putting the rubbish out and as discussed a meal takes forever to make as I'm constantly cleaning off ingredients'.
But everything aside, there is something about getting your hands dirty. Things get done. And it seems as though they get done faster. And to be honest patience is not my best 'fruit' I bear. It's possible that the OCD hand washing is something I need prayer for…
Time to get those hands dirty &…Pray
When dark times hit I like to think I'm a mature Christian gal who clings to her bible and prays. It's probably more accurate to say that I read my bible in fury trying to find a loop hole to explain the cosmic reasoning for my situation. In this rage, my prayers are more of a cry in angst that I think God forgot what he was doing. But jokes aside, I do pray.
For some reason when life is raining on my parade I cry. I get angry. I yell. But I also pray. It's what I get compelled to do. I think they call that the prompting of the Holy Spirit? My prayers are not eloquent preachy-prayers where I try to convince God that he's missed the mark (because doing that always works…). No, they are usually prayers of questioning. Asking God what, how, when, where and most cautiously, why.
I find praying takes me on a journey where I experience every kind of emotion possible and then at the very end I am silenced by God's quiet and timely wisdom that has the ability to change a situation or its meaning in my life. But sometimes praying just once, isn't enough.
Get your knees dirty for Jesus
In a time of heartbreak, sadness and dire need for God to reveal himself, a friend quietly explained "Chloe, You need to get your knees dirty". At first I gave her a second glance as my mind shifted elsewhere (interpret in your own imagination…) but what she really meant was this:
I needed to get down on my knees and offer all I had left to offer, my prayers to God. This figure of speech was eloquently explaining that there is great reward in persisting in prayer.
I think too often we use a one off preachy-prayers where we can tick a box that says "Yes, I prayed about the situation, so now it should change". As much as this appeals to our instant generation, it doesn't stack up with reality. It's a dangerous trap to fall into, as is my experience, the instantaneous answers to prayer are sometimes scarce. Whilst miracles and bold answers to prayers do occur, I often find that it is the persistence and stamina of prayer that results in a significant story to tell of God's mercy, grace and faithfulness.
I don't doubt the one off preachy-prayer builds your relationship with God, I just don't think it should be our sole reliance. I think prayer calls for persistence.
I don't have a 10 point sermon about how persistence will shape your faith but I do know this, you'll discover more about yourself and God. I'm pretty sure this is what happened to Paul on his arduous but persisting journey? And he was pretty holy (although he confessed he doesn't do the thing he ought).
I don't want to sell you the dream and leave you disappointed with even more angst so here is my flip side, you might end up with a whirlpool of questions, or you may discover a whole new set of prayer requests. Sorry, I was too weary to not warn you of the possible consequences. But...
Remember this: The journey will draw you closer, don't fall for the one hit wonder.
Enough with the tick box request, it's time to get those hands &knees dirty for Jesus, ladies and gentlemen. And not just in the kitchen.
Chloe Pryor is a young adult living in Auckland New Zealand. Studying a Bachelor of Dance, in her spare time she teaches young children dance, ballet and jazz, whilst volunteering hours in the youth ministry of her local church. Chloe has a passion for God and serving the local church with a defined heart for women.
Chloe Pryor's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/chloe-pryor.html