I was just in a discussion about whether or not God changes His mind. Age old discussion, no concrete evidence, just enough to feed everyone's theories far enough that they can't quite believe them, they can't quite let them go, but they have to have something to believe.
I have come to a conclusion. We are to come to Him as a child, right? And when raising children it's important for them to get a sense of themselves, of responsibilty, of how things work. When they are really little their decisions are, "cry or not cry, am I comfortable." When they get a bit older it becomes, "do I really weant to eat this or throw it on the floor. Mommy is there a different flavor." When you get a little older it's "why, I'm making this decision and I think plaid pants and a superman cape with my batman cowl will be a fashion hit in sunday school."
I submit that God has made decisions about some things. Earth, good. Night and day, good. Sea and sky, good. Plants and animals, good.Man, really good. (Woman, one of my personal fav's) Mankind being willful, bad. Christ to be set forth as a redeemer when man falls, the only way. These are the decisions that are made. I am beginning to believe that everything else He wants input. He can make the decisions unilaterally and I think because He's the Daddy, He probably does, but I think that He is open to discussion. Sometimes it's like praying for your team to win. God doesn't care who wins and loses, it's really, in the grand scheme of things, inconsequetial, but we are invited to do it and as children often do. He says that we don't have because we don't ask, and that he won't teach us to ask to "mumble dogface in the banana patch" when we want to use the bathroom (sorry , a little Steve Martin influence there.) He's not out to embaress us. He has made the decision that He loves us and wants the best for us, but that He will slap our lttle hands when we get too far out there. I think that He encourages us to stretch our hands out to him, and ask what we will, and if it's good for us the answer is yes. He intends to give us good gifts. He has bent over backwards to give us the best possible outcome in every situation.
This can, in no way be a finished discussion of this subject. I'm sure that there is much more to consider before coming to a concrete conclusion... If I must. If I have to use concrete, I'm writing my name in it.