Friday, April 14, 2006

Publicity stunts

I recently had probably the most ridiculous urge I've ever had. And trust me, I've had some pretty ridiculous urges. But it was mid afternoon on Friday, and I was in my brothers backyard with my sis-in-law and we were smoothing the wrinkles out of the bottom of the pool we were attempting to install in their backyard. It was going well, the kids were playing around the adults and attempting and succeeding in staying mostly out of the way and there was anticipation in the air about the possibility that a pool would soon be accessible to them whenever they felt like jumping in. It was going well. Then I had an urge.
I wanted to join hands with my family, and pray a blessing over the pool. Not just the pool, but the time we're spending putting it together, the kids in the neighborhood that were staring at the new addition to the backyard, and mostly that God would bless our efforts and somehow this 4 foot deep water holder would bring people to Him.
You may be wondering if I actually realize its a POOL I'm talking about, and I assure you I do. It was just an urge, and while I did pray to myself about it, I didn't broach my family and have a big pow wow over the idea.
So here is the question I have now, should I? In all seriousness, I fully understand 2 or 3 agreeing is stronger than just one person, but should I really make everyone stop what they're doing just so they can listen to me pray about something? I have no desire to be imagined to be like the Pharisees praying on the street corner so that everyone could see they were praying. But, neither do I want God to see me refusing to pray publicly because of cowardice.
I'd like to think I didn't resist the urge to pray together because of cowardice, but I know I was desperately afraid to be in the wrong. To appear as though I were shoving my type of relationship with God down their throats. I struggle with pride, and being critical and judgemental amongst other things, and those are the key traits of a Pharisee type personality. I can easily see a Pharisee stopping someones work so that they could formally pray over something. And I don't want to be like that.
But I don't want to dismiss what might be God's leading though.
What would you do?
What would Jesus do?

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