It Never Hurts to Ask

Most of us are familiar with the Charles Dickens story, “Oliver Twist”. A novel highlighting the struggles of an orphan raised in a workhouse in a small town north of London. 

With little food and comforts, at age 9, Oliver is moved to another “farm” to work. Still with little to sustain him, one day, after losing a bet with the other boys, he makes his way to the headmaster, Mr Bumble for more gruel and offers the most famous of lines, “Please sir, I want some more.” 

In disgust, Mr. Bumble responds by offering 5 pounds to anyone who would take Twist off his hands and away from the workhouse.

That interaction didn’t work out so well for young Oliver. But I think the point of the story was to bring awareness to the harsh realities that orphans often suffered through. Not, that we should never ask for more or that it’s just not worth the risk to ask for anything. 

You Don’t Get What You Don’t Ask For

I do believe it’s true. Sometimes we just need to ask, but we choose not to. Why is that? Maybe that question is for another day.

But if you were to ask for something, what would you ask for? Here are some suggestions: 

Ask For Help 

This is tough for most I think. I don’t like asking for help, and it’s not easy to receive help sometimes either. But here’s the thing…you probably like helping others. I do. I like offering my assistance when I can. It’s the right thing to do and it feels good. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. So why don’t we allow those who want to help us experience the same thing?

Ask For a Raise

Dan Miller recently posted “5 Days to a Raise” encouraging people to consider how they can improve their financial situation including

• taking responsibility for your current situation
• connecting with someone who is achieving more of what you want in your own life
• considering how you present yourself; your resume is a sales brochure
• being clear on what you want and who you should speak to
• creating a side-business   

A raise could mean a salary increase, a year end bonus, extra paid vacation, improved benefits or paid mileage..it could be a lot of things. If you believe in what you bring to the company, maybe it’s time to ask for more.

Ask For a Meeting

You may be intimidated to approach a particular person because of their perceived status or success etc, but you’d be surprised how many individuals are willing to have a coffee with you and share their wisdom with you, if you ask. 

Q. Who would you like to sit down with and learn from? A pastor, community leader, teacher or business owner? Offer to buy a coffee or lunch and see what happens. 

Ask For More Time 

Maybe you do need an extension to get the project done. Or maybe you want more time with your spouse or child or your best friend. Ask for it. What would it look like…how can it fit into your schedules and what would you do? Ask prepared with a vision of how you would like your relationship to look in the future. 

Ask For Forgiveness

It’s going to happen. We’re going to blow it and offend someone or cause them harm with our words or actions. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to ask my kids to forgive me over the years. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way to preserve relationships. David understood the need for confession and forgiveness.