#1 on the list: LUCY IN OUR HOUSE! (Um...God...need ya on this one!)
#2 a camera "A REAL camera Mommy! Not a kiddy camera!"
#3 a robe "So when I get out the shower I can be warm, and I can wear it over my jammies in the morning too!"
That was her list. That is what she wanted. And she approached us with the confidence that we would come through.
But you see...#1 is out of my control.
#2 Daddy was going to take care of.
and #3 quickly became an issue...
I scoured the stores for a size 7-8 robe. Nothing to be found at our local Walmart. Nothing to be found in my 40 mile one-way trip to the stores in Altoona. Nothing to be found in the 1 hour one way trip to Ankeny....hmmmm....it was Wednesday. Birthday was Thursday! Now what?
Rearrange the day. Cancel some meetings. Drive to Oskaloosa with the hope and prayer that JC Penny's had a robe in size 7-8!
As I went on this search for the robe, I began thinking about my God. You see sometimes I just want what I want. I don't see the rearranging, or changing, or resources my God is doing to answer my prayer. I don't understand why there is a delay. I don't get it as to why He can't just drop that prayer request right in my lap! And, often, just like Faith didn't see my frantic search for the robe, I don't see God's work (although I highly doubt it is frantic) behind the scenes!
But, then I thought even more deeply on this. You see my daughter Faith never once doubted that the three items on her list would be provided! She had full faith as she opened each gift that one of them would hold a camera and that one would hold a robe. And I do think that when she asked, she fully believed that God could even provide Lucy in our home on Thursday morning if He so chose!
She approached her parents with full FAITH! She had no doubt we would provide!
The Bible tells us that God also expects that from us. I am thinking I fail at that! I am thinking I lay my requests out there but I don't always FULLY believe in God's resources, in His persistence, in His promises to me as his daughter!
So...the gifts were opened...the camera was unwrapped, the robe was worn this morning with the pj's as she awoke from bed, and we are approaching God with BOLDNESS and CONFIDENCE for His provision of #1!!!!
O my goodness!...Faith is 8?! It seems like yesterday I was meeting her the first night I came to babysit. She was just a little three year old who wanted some popcorn and to watch cinderella...and a little sad, of course, that her mom and dad were leaving her for a few hours.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of you guys while I was at work tonight and the verse that you mentioned on facebook that God led you to during your prayer time yesterday, John 14:1; and the verses and bible stories that kept coming to me were about trusting God. He knows the prayers of our hearts even before we come to him with them, and once we do come to him with them we need to have full faith that he will provide. I think this is something we all struggle with. Tonight I came across Mark 11:22-24 which is also a reminder to have faith in God. Praying (and trusting) that God will have Lucy at home in Pella with all of you soon!!
Oh and wish Faith a Happy Belated Birthday for me!