Does God Care About Las Vegas Buffets?
September 1, 2011
I’m sure that question got your attention. It’s actually a question I have been thinking about ever since a vacation my family took to California a few weeks ago. We were driving through scenic Utah (definite sarcasm here–seriously, I hear so many people complain about driving through Kansas, but at least when you drive through Kansas, there are actual towns every 30 miles. The stretch we were on between Grand Junction and Vegas–wow, it was desolate. Definitely don’t want to run out of gas there.)
Back to my initial train of thought…We had timed it so that we would reach Las Vegas around noon. I hadn’t ever been to Vegas but sort of assumed that daytime would probably be a more ‘family’ oriented time than evening.
Our first stop was the Gold and Silver Pawn shop–not that we frequent Pawn shops but we do watch Pawn Stars occasionally and wanted to actually be in the store where Rick and Chumley do their thing. Just so you know, the store looks much bigger (and cleaner) on TV than in real life.
After that experience, we then headed down Las Vegas Boulevard to see “the Strip” and to find a place to eat lunch. And not just any place. One of my sons had heard that Las Vegas buffets are awesome and cheap. So we were looking for a buffet, but I had no idea where to begin this search. On the strip, there were no signs advertising awesome and cheap buffets. Before I knew it, we had driven through the entire strip and had no lunch prospects on the horizon.
We had just driven past a few fast food places and were about to settle on one of those, so I turned the car around and headed that direction. In my heart, I was praying to God, “God, my son really wants to experience a buffet. I don’t know where to even start. Could you help me out here?”
I pull into a gas station to fill up and the minute I get out of my car, I hear this video advertisement playing on a screen just above the gas pump. “Lunch buffet at so and so place. Show your receipt and get one free adult buffet.” Awesome…and cheap! We headed to the location advertised and together experienced an official Las Vegas casino buffet.
So back to my initial question: Does God really care about answering a prayer like that? Some would say, no. In fact, I heard the other night on the radio a Christian DJ making fun of Christians who give God credit for stuff like that. The argument was basically, does God really care about piddly stuff like colors of couches, etc? At one level, it’s hard to not sound totally cheesy when attributing anything like that to God.
However, in my own heart and mind, I am absolutely convinced the answer to the initial question is a resounding Yes. God does care about buffets–actually it’s not the buffet He cares about as much as the fact that I was needing to find one. In the Lord’s Prayer, we are urged to call God “Father”. Abba. Daddy. If I, as an earthly Father, wanted to grant the desire of my son and let him experience a Vegas buffet, why wouldn’t my infinite God and loving Father be interested in helping me do just that?
Prayer is an invitation to experience a love relationship with God the Father. If He doesn’t care about the things that are on our hearts, in what way is He our loving Father? I’m not saying He always says yes to my request. But I am convinced that He delights in my asking and He delights in answering prayers like that. That’s what dads do.
September 1, 2011 at 1:01 pm
I completely agree. Our identity is that of a much beloved child. We would be missing out on his tangible love in our daily lives if we didn’t request the simple things like a buffett lunch.
September 1, 2011 at 2:06 pm
I, also, agree. I do believe our Heavenly Father delights in our simple requests to him and he does care! I often use my experience as a parent and how I relate to my children to understand how God relates to me. I show much more grace to my children when I relate how I would want God to show grace towards me and how he actually does. And oh the grace and love He gives! What an example He is to me on how I want to parent and love on my own children.
PS. I didn’t know where you were going with this blog after reading the title… ha ha. I am NOT a fan of Las Vegas in general. In my few times of experiencing this place, I was disheartened with the worldliness and desperate need for God there. It’s a hard place for me to go and if I never go there again, I will be quite alright.
September 1, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Hey Renee
totally agree. After driving through that day, I thought about how Las Vegas is in a sense the best that the world has to offer…and it is incredibly empty.
September 2, 2011 at 6:17 am
OK, i’ll get down to the “base and banal” question. What happened? Is there a sequel? How was that prayer answered?
September 3, 2011 at 8:51 am
I thought I answered that in the post. God cared about a Las Vegas buffet in that moment because I cared about it. I wanted my son to have the opportunity to experience something he wanted to experience. Am I missing something in your question?
September 4, 2011 at 4:01 pm
I love this. How awesome our God is. To others, it may have seemed coincidental to have a video @ the gas station, but He knew how much your son wanted to experience that and how you as his daddy wanted to give it to your son.
so, what did your son think? Was it worth it?
September 5, 2011 at 9:40 pm
He enjoyed the experience, but we all admitted the food left a bit to be desired. One of my other sons suggested that the next time I pray about something like that, I make sure that I include a request for good food!
September 7, 2011 at 5:41 am
So what does it say about God when I ask him for something and he does not give it? That he does not care about the things that are on my heart? Or that he is not a good father? What is he delighting in when he says no?
September 10, 2011 at 2:05 pm
You’re a loving father. What does it commuicate when you say no to your kids?
September 8, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Hi Pastor Alan,
I am looking forward to your series on prayer and also agree that sometimes the small things are missed (I once prayed for a needed amount of money and it came from a long past job that had forgotten they owed me that exact amount (!)
Today I read this post on a blog I follow called A Holy Experience and thought you might like it, since you talked to us about finding our prayer time and place last week. Sorry the link is so long, I’m sure there is a way to shorten but I am computer challenged.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/09/when-its-hard-to-find-time-for-god-prayer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HolyExperience+%28Holy+Experience%29
Kathleen