Until recently our Benjamin preferred to sit with Kelly and me in the sanctuary each Sunday.

If the pastor asked if anyone wanted to accept Christ…Ben would raise his hand.

If the pastor asked if anyone wanted healing for back pain..Ben would raised his hand.

If the pastor asked if anyone wanted healing for a heart condition…Ben would raise his hand.

Pretty much Ben would raise his hand for any and all healing, salvation, requests for prayer.

I found myself quietly trying to put his arm down.

Then it hit me.

Who cares.

Who cares if he has a heart to ask for these things that he doesn’t even need.

Who cares if he asks Christ into his life 572 times before the age of 7.

He was 4 or 5 or 6 years old and had a heart that wanted more.

He didn’t know it or understand it.

He wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed.

He is the child that raises his hands when he sings worship songs because he sees others and it just feels natural.

He isn’t worried who is looking or who isn’t looking.

He has nothing in his head or heart that tells him what a person that follows Christ needs to do or not to do.

Without realizing it in so many different ways…he wanted more.

It wasn’t too long ago and we had a guest speaker.  He offered to pray with anyone after service that just wanted more of God.

Wanted a more real relationship.

Wanted to know the Lord with a deeper understanding.

Our ministry team had also joined him upfront to pray over people.

We have a pretty big church.

As they dismissed us and I was leaving to pick our children up from Sunday School I thought about what was just offered.

I thought about how we were all offered more and 99% of the congregation were heading to pick up their children, go get coffee, talk to friends or head home for lunch.

We were just offered more of God and we all walked away.

Walked away.

The rest of the day I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I couldn’t believe I said no to more.

I couldn’t believe that most people in my church passed up on more.

Are we a just a group of people that say we believe something but when it gets in the way of lunch time we no longer think it is important?

Can you imagine what our churches would be like if we opened our hands and just said, “I want more”!

Not more money, more clothes, more of a home, more of a car, more of a career….more of Christ.

I found Kelly that afternoon and told him everything that I had been thinking.

I told him how I don’t want to ever pass up opportunities when the Lord is offering more.

It made me think what the Lord was thinking that day.

I imagined Him thinking that he wants so much for us.

He wants to take our pain.

He wants to direct our paths.

He desires closer relationships with us.

He wants to restore marriages and families.

He wants to show us how to use our gifts.

He wants to give us more and we walk right past.

He stands there with gifts of life for us and we say…”no thanks”.

That was over a year ago.

There have been many times between now and then when I have had the opportunity to ask for more.

I am better aware of asking, reaching out my hand, being quiet, asking for help and for asking for more.

I am sure I miss daily offerings all of the time but my heart has changed.

I don’t intentionally pass by more because I don’t want to walk to the front of the church, raise my hand in front of people or because friends are waiting to talk to me.

Are you tired?

Are you weary?

Do you feel depleted or lost?

Do you need a huge exhale in your life right now?

Do you want more?

Open your hands and just ask!