I can't brain today...I have the dumb!

Ever had one of those days (or lives, in my case!!!) when your brain seems determined to sabotage you? One of those days when it just won't shut up- but keeps spouting so many thoughts at you that you end up in a big mental tangle?

Ever had it tie you in spiritual knots?

What is the deal with that?

Last week I had to do something that was relatively straightforward- a formality to draw a line under an ongoing problem. It was no real biggie and the chances of anything going wrong were very remote.
Still, being  a sensible Christian, of course (!), I prayed about it before hand and on my way to the meeting that was to finalise things.

That's when my brain decided to play spiritual Twister. If you're not sure what that entails, it often goes something like this.....

Imagine I'm leaving on a journey. I set out down the road in the car. I pray for a safe journey. Then I may be a little more specific- 'Lord, give me skill and wisdom in driving today.'
Tootling along a little further, it occurs to me that God may very well grant wisdom and skill to me- but I'd just better be certain about other drivers on the road. After all, you don't know who's out there today! I add in a little extra..."Lord, grant skill and wisdom to other drivers, too."

Hmmm- what if the drivers are all skill-and-wisdomed-up but something out of their control happens? Something that driving skills and Solomon -esque wisdom can't handle? What if, for example, a random meteor drops in on us. I mean, it happened in Russia, right?
Better factor that in....."Lord, please protect us from events out of our control and keep us all safe."

That should do it.

Ok- the stereo's on, I'm enjoying trying to sing all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody by myself and...oh. Hang on. What if I'm safe- and other people are safe....but something happens to the car? Theoretically speaking, that thing could get walloped pretty hard but I could walk away safely. Better ping another prayer up.
"Lord, please protect the car from any accidents. Please keep it protected from any damage on the roads..(wait- what if it gets bashed into while it's parked?)... and wherever I need to leave it. Please don't let any person or object cause any damage to it."

Oh flip! What if it doesn't get damaged but it breaks down? What if there's some sort of mechanical failure? We really can't afford to have anything go wrong with it- it's been an expensive month and  we need the car on the road....

Right...

"Lord, please let the car function on my journey today- on the journey there and back and all the bits in between. Let nothing break down, or go wrong."


By the time I reach the first junction, my prayers are along the lines of:
"Lord, let no male drivers, or female drivers, or elderly drivers or young drivers, or newly qualified drivers, or learner drivers or lorries, or vans, or cars, or mopeds, or motorcycles or pedal bikes, or pedestrians or dog walkers or people who have just popped out of their house to put the bin out, or people who have just popped out of their house to get the bin back in- walk in front of, behind, to the left, to the right, diagonally in any direction, on top (well, you never know) or fall underneath the car and......."

Ok- bit of an exaggeration, true. Especially as I can't actually drive!

You get the idea, though? By the time I'd got to the meeting I was attending, I'd probably prayed for every possible, unlikely and downright ridiculous eventuality I could imagine.

Why?

Why do we (some of us mere mortals, anyway) get ourselves all tied up in a tangle?

I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for specifics. On the contrary, it's important- at times vital- to be specific in our prayers. But I'm referring to this kind of unnecessary mental gymnastics that makes our prayers go around in convoluted passages and getting nowhere meaningful.

                                                  

Hang on...didn't I just pass this prayer a minute ago?

What is it that makes us sometimes feel as if we have to cram every little thing into our prayers? It's something I've been asking myself. Is it that I don't believe that God will know what I mean unless I spell it out VERY clearly for Him- a sort of bellowing into a spiritual earhorn?

                              

 "Speak up, dear, I'm getting on a bit, you  know!"

I'm pretty sure that's not it. I mean- God's GOD! He knows. 

Have you ever seen the (fabulous) film 'Labyrinth' with the late David Bowie as Goblin King, Jareth? In one scene, a group of goblins are in hiding and waiting for disgruntled teenager, Sarah, to say the right words for them to be able to spring into action. She frustrates them by coming out with a phrase that's close- but not what they're waiting for. At last she unwittingly hits on the exact combination of words and they launch into their mischief.

I'm also pretty sure that God isn't a goblin waiting for me to somehow phrase my prayer in juuuuust the right way before He'll act on my behalf. 

I believe firmly in God's goodness- His mercy, His generosity, His love...... so why on earth do I find myself with my knickers in a twist, spiritually speaking.(If we can have spiritual armour, I'm reasonably certain that there's spiritual underwear to be had somewhere!!!!)

What usually happens when I get my brain all Rubik-cubed is that I get to the point where I come to a screeching halt and say to God "You know what all this muddled stuff in my head means. Please take my prayers out of this gibberish and help me leave them with You."

At that point, I can almost picture God just smiling and saying "That's what I was waiting for. Quit stressing and leave it with Me."

Most of the time I end up laughing at myself. Most of the time I can hand things to God very simply and happily. But I still don't know why those Twister moments happen. 

Surely I'm not the only one? 

What do you think?

 Ouch!