A good friend of mine is preparing her home and life for a teenage grandson to join. His dad is deploying to Afghanistan and the grandson wants to live with his grandparents during this time. He wants it very, very much! He has wanted it so much over the past year that he has insisted that his grandmother plead with God to set it up for them. He has begged God, his father and his grandparents. He has uttered those words so familiar to many of us-“If you let me do this, (God, Dad or Grandma), I’ll do anything you want me to!! I promise!!”
And so his wish was granted. The miracle he thought would never happen did. Oh, what a happy boy! He is coming as soon as school lets out. BUT as the months have passed and he has become accustomed to his “miracle”, he has begun the “bargaining” stage. “Grandma, I’ll pick up the dog poop outside but I won’t do the catbox.” “Grandma, I’ll mow the lawn and use the weed eater but I won’t pull weeds, I hate that.” We can only guess at his “bargains” with God.
As she shared this story with me, we both chuckled and remembered some of our childhood “bargains” with parents and God. On the way home, however, I thought of our adult “bargains”. We may not express them in the same way but we have all had things in our lives that we have thought “if only this would happen, I’ll be so happy.”
We have ALL had prayers answered and miracles take place even if we don’t recognize them as such. Before the particular event takes place, it seems so unattainable, so marvelous an occurrence that we think it can never happen. But then it does. At the moment, it is mind blowing and awesome. As time goes by, it is less and less so. We become accustomed to it. It is part of our everyday and as such loses some of its “miracle” shine.
And at that point, we forget our promises back when we wanted it so much. We begin to “bargain” or much more likely in our today’s world- justify. That raise wasn’t because I asked for it- it was just time for it. The new job or baby or home or friend or living room set or the list of things we want and don’t think we can get is endless. The child or husband or father or sister that overcame that illness or personal crisis just did so. Begging on their behalf had nothing to do with it.
We miss so much when we forget from whence our blessings flow. We miss so much when we don’t see the day to day “miracles” in our lives. We miss the joy of knowing we are loved and cared about. We lose sight of that which brings so much happiness to our lives- gratitude. Be thankful for today and all that it brings- today is a miracle that you will never experience again. Enjoy every moment -even poop duty.
That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
And so his wish was granted. The miracle he thought would never happen did. Oh, what a happy boy! He is coming as soon as school lets out. BUT as the months have passed and he has become accustomed to his “miracle”, he has begun the “bargaining” stage. “Grandma, I’ll pick up the dog poop outside but I won’t do the catbox.” “Grandma, I’ll mow the lawn and use the weed eater but I won’t pull weeds, I hate that.” We can only guess at his “bargains” with God.
As she shared this story with me, we both chuckled and remembered some of our childhood “bargains” with parents and God. On the way home, however, I thought of our adult “bargains”. We may not express them in the same way but we have all had things in our lives that we have thought “if only this would happen, I’ll be so happy.”
We have ALL had prayers answered and miracles take place even if we don’t recognize them as such. Before the particular event takes place, it seems so unattainable, so marvelous an occurrence that we think it can never happen. But then it does. At the moment, it is mind blowing and awesome. As time goes by, it is less and less so. We become accustomed to it. It is part of our everyday and as such loses some of its “miracle” shine.
And at that point, we forget our promises back when we wanted it so much. We begin to “bargain” or much more likely in our today’s world- justify. That raise wasn’t because I asked for it- it was just time for it. The new job or baby or home or friend or living room set or the list of things we want and don’t think we can get is endless. The child or husband or father or sister that overcame that illness or personal crisis just did so. Begging on their behalf had nothing to do with it.
We miss so much when we forget from whence our blessings flow. We miss so much when we don’t see the day to day “miracles” in our lives. We miss the joy of knowing we are loved and cared about. We lose sight of that which brings so much happiness to our lives- gratitude. Be thankful for today and all that it brings- today is a miracle that you will never experience again. Enjoy every moment -even poop duty.
That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
No comments:
Post a Comment