The Thinks You Can Think

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try." ~ Dr. Seuss

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." ~ Ephesians 3:19-20

Living in the St. Louis area for 3+ years now, one of the things that I most love about the city is the amount of free things that are available.  As attractions go, the various entertainment outlets of St. Louis and the surrounding area do a great job of providing free or low cost opportunities for fun.

One of those free things that I most appreciate is The Muny.  It is a professional caliber outdoor theater that puts on Broadway shows all summer long.  And at each performance, though some choose to purchase tickets, a large portion of the audience is allowed in for free.  I highly suggest checking out their website for the history of the theater, as well as a list of each summer's productions.

Because the productions are so good and free (did I mention that?), for the past three seasons we have taken our church youth group to a show.  This past Tuesday evening, we saw the musical Seussical™, a musical adaptation of the many works of Dr. Seuss.  And though my literary knowledge of Heir Doctor is pretty much limited to the annual Christmas rite of the Grinch, the musical does spur the imagination in fun, lively ways.

The above quote leads me to think of the Ephesians passage above, and this all leads me to one conclusion:  God's power in our lives is, in a way, limited by the limits of what we believe and expect of Him.

Now of course God exists independent of us, and His power is in no way dependent on our imagination, but how often do we lose out on seeing something truly amazing because we think it's beyond His power to do. 

After all, James wrote, "ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2 KJV).  And Jesus told His disciples, "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." (Matthew 21:22 ESV).

So what do we do with this?  Are we clear to pray for singing blue elephants or mischievous cats in red and white striped hats?  Clearly no, for the promise of answered prayers only extends to what is within the will of the Father, and strange, rhyming creatures most likely are not.  But we can rest assured that when we pray for those things that He wants, specifically as laid out in His word, no matter how outrageous they may seem to our earthly senses, He will do.

Now that's worth singing about!