Faith and the lift doors

My office building lifts are quite weird, u can't press from the outside because that doesn't keep the door open. But it has sensors, and will open up when there is an object at the door. Today as I left the office and was going to take the lifts, the doors of the lift was closing.

And so the doors were closing, and the lady in front of me ran to the front. There was like 5cm of gap between the doors. She raised her hand and put it in between the gap of the doors, and the door opened! Wow, I wouldn't have put my hand in there. Even though I know that the door has sensors and will reopen. But what if...the doors jammed? What if... the sensor was spoilt? Whoa..my hand would be sliced into 2 pieces.

And then it suddenly dawned on me how this whole situation was like faith. Why faith? Cos we know that God is faithful, we know that He has on many situations delivered us. But when it comes to precarious situations, it takes a leap of faith to trust that these "sensors" will work. And work for our good. How do we know that God is not asleep? How do we know that God will not fail us?

Thats when we attempt to fix things up based on our own human wisdom. Sigh. In our anxieties. Isn't it?

Have been one of those who believed that faith was saying God can! God will! But over the past few mths, I've realised God doesn't always. Doesn't always what? Well, He doesn't always answer my prayers according to what I want! That's really sometimes what we are saying isn't it? And sometimes our prayers are like making God a vending machine. Pls God, do this for me, do that for me? Pretty please?
But I realise He doesn't work this way. Does this make Him an unfaithful God? And sometimes...the world is just so imperfect. There continues to be sudden deaths, accidents, tsunamis, floods, typhoons. I find myself asking God, why? Why must these happen Lord?

And I really don't know. The best I know is to live life the best I know how; to make use of what He has given to me, the best I can be.

I know this piece perhaps sounds a little strange. But I thought that real faith is not sweeping real issues and troubles under the carpet, cos these are really immature depictions of reality. However, real faith is only established, with the understanding that there will continue to be imperfections in this world.

Can't help wondering...how often we pray for our petty items like new handphones/mp3 players, that we get pay raises, boss likes us, working hours are reduced... I say these are petty because I weigh them compared to other issues like salvation, poverty, disaster recoveries. Its amazing what a wide range of prayer that God listens to everyday. Maybe, and shouldn't we, look beyond our own wants, and start looking at other people's needs? I think that prayers sometimes change situations, but even more beneficial are how prayers often work to change our hearts. Prayer, often reveals the condition of our hearts. And there can never be intimacy until we come close to what is in God's heart, and pray for those things.