With time, I have come to realize an old truth. When you trust someone, the type of question you ask in a conversation changes. A request came through recently. Given the lack of trust, I asked a basic question trying to understand. It was question I should have asked a long time ago. Candidly, I skipped the question that would have built and maintained a foundation of trust. As a result, the trust relationship broke.
I wonder what questions I should be asking.
If I move beyond the immediate of the day, the questions come to a logic point of reflection. What should I be asking God that I am avoiding? Am I willing to be candid with my fears and doubts? If not, when is God going to have a chance to answer them?
The harsh reality is that there is much in life that I wonder about. Because I avoided them in the past, I now face an awkward question in the present. The rhetorical question Paul raised applies to multiple parts of my life. “You don’t seem to have raised questions with the other apostles and our Master’s brothers and Peter in these matters. So, why me?” (1 Corinthians 9.5)
The answer is hard to admit. Why you, why now? The answer; I need to rebuild the foundation of trust. As trivial as these questions are to others, they are important to me! If I had been open in the past, I would not be facing the uncertainties of the present.
I may have lost out on the past, yet there is an opportunity to build in the present. I can reach out, ask questions, and listen. It is in listening that the opportunity to understand and learn is created. The window is one that is crucial to the moment at hand. I find that it changes my understanding and presents multiple response options. You and I have the freedom to respond. This freedom can bring hope to others as well as our self. It is a choice that I hope I embrace.
