Uncle Henry was the grandfather I never had (mine died before I was born). He called us his “synthetic granchildren”. He was a pastor of pastors and our family patriarch. He taught us all how to pray.

(More pictures below)

Scripture

The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: God, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? Habakkuk 1:1 (The Message)

Observation

Often our prayers are full of answers but not enough questions. The answers I speak of are our notions of how God should fix our world. We see a problem, we think up a solution and we barge into the holy place and tell the Lord what he ought to do. There is another level of prayer that starts with questions and not answers. Instead of telling God what to do, it lays out an inquiry of the Lord and then waits for the answer.

Habakkuk asked God just three questions and had enough in God’s answers to write a book. That says that the Lord has more to say to us than we have to speak to him. We have two ears and one mouth to give us an idea of ratios of speaking vs listening that God is looking for.

Eugene Petersen translates this opening sentence with an unusual twist. “The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it.” The word of the Lord was not just in the message that God gave to Habakkuk, it as also in the problem laid before him. Each problem of life is thus a gift and it is our choice to ask good questions that makes it possible for God to speak.

Mother Teresa was on a journey with some of the sisters. Along the way they faced a good many difficulties. The sisters wore out the mother superior with their constant fretting about problems. Finally Mother Teresa said, “Problems are a gift from God.” That little change of perspective changes a problem from an obstacle into an challenge to eventually draw from the miraculous resources of the Lord.

Problems are a gift from God and questions are how we find answers.

Prayer

Father, help me to be more diligent in asking your direction. Help be to be the Larry King in prayer, knowing to ask the right questions and then sitting back to see how you will answer. Amen.

Uncle Henry would host a campfire and marshmellows every summer in his backyard. Here’s me with my family when I was five. I’m the little blonde boy, kneeling.

Our birthdays were a week apart, so every Labor Day Weekend we would trek the three hours to Uncle Henry’s 150 year old house and celebrate our birthdays together.

Every one of us boys had an annual “talk” from Uncle Henry to improve our lives. I was not very attentive. I would give anything for one of those talks today.

Just to prove that there were times I would sit still when I had my little talk, here’s me after some bicycle accident.