This is Boo. He's such dear and clever child. He
loves to go to Busch Gardens. He loves to see all the animals and he
knows a lot about them. Busch Gardens is a big deal. He even dreams
about it sometimes.
Sometimes Boo wants to go to Busch Gardens but there are
other things to do that day, or the plan is to go on Saturday instead of on
Tuesday. He will get to go eventually, but when it's best for everyone in his
family.
Boo doesn't like to get his fingernails clipped. He hates
it. However, if his mom and dad didn't clip his fingernails just because he
didn't want them to, they would actually stop doing something that just simply
must be done. Also, they would be doing him no favors by giving into his
demands to not take naps, to only eat popsicles, or to play with cutlery or
fragile things. At this stage in his life, Boo doesn't necessarily know
what is best for him. He certainly knows what he likes and what he thinks
is best, but his parents can see the danger in sometimes giving him exactly
what he wants when he wants it.
The parallel is clear. We may feel that the very best
thing for us right now is being withheld by God. Perhaps we desperately
want to find our "someone." Perhaps we are struggling with health
challenges, emotional or physical, that seem to rule our lives. Or we
struggle seeing loved ones suffer and lose their faith or their purpose in
life. The difficult thing is knowing that God has promised He can do
anything but He's not giving us what we feel we want and need more than
anything else.
But, God is the Perfect Parent. He knows us
individually. He knows Boo. He knows how much Boo loves Busch
Gardens, what his favorite animal is, how Boo loves Dopey from Snow White, and
that Boo gets so excited each time he hears a fire engine. God loves us
each in the very same way. He knows our heartaches and our desires, and
tenderly acknowledges them. But, at this stage of life we do not fully
understand what is best for us. We certainly know what we like and what
we think is best, but God can see the reason why it isn't time to give us all
we want and need right now. It is so critically important to know God at
times like these. Not to just know about Him, but to know and trust Him. To trust that He really does want us to be happy, to trust that He really
does love us.
I know with a knowledge that is deep, real, and
personal that God is our loving Father. He withholds those things we want so
dearly because He knows what is good for us and when it will be right and best
for us to receive what we want. I know that He weeps with us when we
suffer. He wants nothing more than for us to be happy. But, He wants us
to be happy for forever. He knows what we will need to learn in order to
enjoy perfect happiness. This life is not the reward; it is the test. But, what wonderful comfort we can feel as we remember that God is
leading us through it. He's leading us back to Him.
Excellent thoughts. Thanks!
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