I've been working on my prayer life. I'm not good at praying. I've read testimonies of the power of prayer and I am always in awe of how powerful prayer is. So, I am working on my prayer life. God was pretty awesome (well, as usual right), to help me out a bit by giving me a practical application of a life lesson on prayer, by using my son.
The other night I was fixing dinner, and was nearly done. I was actually in the process of plating my children's dinner. My 17 month old came into the kitchen and began babbling and trying to open the refrigerator door. When I opened the refrigerator, he began pointing to the milk and saying his word for chocolate. Clearly, Owen was hungry and for him chocolate milk is perfect. It fills his belly quickly while allowing him to run and play. In his mind it was the right thing for his need. However, I knew better, I had planned better for him. So, I told him 'No, dinner was ready'. Boy you would have thought the end of the world had come in that moment. There was crying and gnashing of teeth. He had stopped listening when I said "No". That was all he heard, he didn't pay any attention to the rest of what I said. However, he turned it all off (as quickly as he had turned it on) when he saw me at the table with plates of food and heard me calling his brother for dinner. He quickly ran to the table and began climbing into his chair and he ate a big dinner.
So what does any of that have to do with prayer? God whispered in my ear as we sat and ate that Owen's request and reaction was often how I pray and react. I ask the wrong question and then, when God tells me "No" I stop listening. Had Owen asked for "food" or "to eat" my answer would have been "Yes". But he asked the wrong question. And the kicker is, he didn't ask for something that was bad, it just wasn't best. I want the best for him, at that time, it was a balanced dinner. God reminded me, as His child, He too wants what's best for me. Though I ask for good things, I don't always ask for what is best. He also showed me that sometimes, as soon as I hear "No" I stop listening. Owen didn't hear me when I said "...dinner is ready.", all he heard was "No". I know many times when I hear "No." I get frustrated and start saying "Well, what now? How is this supposed to work out? What's the plan then?" When really I should be keeping my mouth shut so that I can hear the better plans God has for me.
I was reminded that night just how much my 17 month old and I are alike.
Brilliant! See- you're learning AND teaching at the same time. Takes real clarity and talent to do that Sis. Your post is another in a long line of heavenly whispers in my ear! There's a theme to those Holy Spirit whispers- one is a line from a Christy Nockels song that regularly runs through my addled brain: "You give us Your best for what we thought was better." The other is this verse that's been hunting me down of late: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Ps 37:4 Why do I expect the second part of that to happen if I'm not taking care of the first part? If I'm doing the first part then that will determine what those secret petitions are anyway. So actually He's GIVING me my desires before I desire them. But only if I'm delighting in Him first. Makes my brain hurt just thinking on that...
ReplyDeleteSo true that Owen at 17 months isn't at the stage in life where he can delight himself in anyone else. I however, have no excuse. :0) Thanks for the reminder to pray differently. And listen better. And take delight in the things of God.
Welcome to the blogosphere my Friend. Looking forward to more!