Sometimes things don't turn out how I think they should, how I'd like them to. We sold our first house SEVEN YEARS after we moved out of it. My kids didn't get jobs I prayed for them to get. A video we submitted twenty years ago to America's Funniest Videos got initial approval and we signed papers, but it never aired. I've prayed for and expected miracles which never came. Hardest of all is the waiting. God always requires waiting.
I spend a lot of time asking God why. What's so terrible about revealing Your plan? Why would it be so awful for my child to get that job? Where are You, God? Are You hearing me at all?
Disappointment. Frustration. Aggravation.
But God never promised to meet my every whim. I pray for things that would make my life easier. He answers to make me holier.
Do I struggle when I fight what IS? Would I feel better if I just went with what God gives without asking why, without doubting His goodness? God doesn't make mistakes. He gives each of us gifts we may or may not like. Disappointment, frustration, aggravation come when we refuse to accept what He's given or how He's working in our lives.“True peace comes from embracing what is, not from ceaseless striving to change everything around me to make my life more safe, secure, comfortable.”
Dan Meadows in The Mosaic Bible
It's like a little boy who asks for a glass of milk and his father gives him a cow.
"A cow?" the boy whines, "But that's too hard. I don't want to work at this. I just want milk."
"I could give you a glass of milk, but soon it would be gone and what would you learn?" his father replies, "With a cow you gain a new skill, get all the milk you'd ever want and have plenty to share. Isn't that better than one glass of milk?"
When I complain about my life, when I ask God to cure my problems quickly, am I asking for too little? Am I asking for a glass of milk when He wants to give me a cow? Am I missing true peace by not accepting what is? Do I get stuck and distracted in my "if only"s? Is wanting easy causing me more trouble than necessary on the road to something great?
What do you think?
Tell me your opinion in the comments, or better yet, link up below and share your post on this quote.
5 comments:
Tami, I took a different slant on this quote. But it was a good one to get me thinking. Not all of my prayers have been answered as I hoped at the time. But more and more, I'm seeing that God's timing and ways are perfect. I don't always understand but lately I've been seeing His hand at work in my life more and more in the midst of some very challenging circumstances.
Thanks for hosting this week.
blessings and love,
Debbie
Wow, I found you through Debbie! I loved this: When I complain about my life, when I ask God to cure my problems quickly, am I asking for too little? Am I asking for a glass of milk when He wants to give me a cow?
Thank you for your thoughts. I would like to link up my poem - after my girl gets on the bus this morning and I touch it up! So glad I found you!
Love the cow illustration. We want our "milk" but we don't want to have to work for it. We definitely miss out on a lot because of our discontent. Thanks for hosting today it was great.
My friend you can guess some of what is going through my head with this quote! But I love the reassurance that God has brought through the quote. And your fleshing it out is exactly what I needed to read. I see so often that I would have settled for the glass with even a drop of milk and missed the blessing of the whole cow that was waiting for me. Praying that I can continue to remember that!
Thank you for hosting us this week.
He answers to make me holier.
Ah big sigh...thank you. That reached in deep to water that one place.
And of course I'll never look at a cow or a glass of milk the same.
All thru Him,
Cin
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