God speaks to me through my children.
We ate pancakes for breakfast. The three year old cut his own. The six year old refused. "I want you to cut it." She cried. "I can't do it!."
"Please pick up your fork and put it in your pancake like this. And pick up you knife and try." I asked of her.
"I can't do it! I've tried before! I'll be the last one eating! I want YOU to do it!" and she burst into tears.
"Tears aren't going to help." I told her. "They will get you sent from the table."
"I can't help it! Help me cut it! I'm hungry!"
"You may leave the table to cry. When you're done, you can come back and try with a good attitude."
She stomped off to her room and put on a good show. Then she returned to the table and sat staring at her pancake. Without picking up knife and fork she began again.
"Can you help me, please?"
"Pick up your knife and fork and just try," I repeated.
She sat staring. The rest of us finished eating and read Bible. She still sat.
I really had planned to help her. She can do it herself. She's done it before. It does take awhile, but she can. The problem was, attitude and refusal to even try.
And God spoke to me.
"Sound familiar? "
"God, I want to be an author, or loose weight, or succeed in whatever dream is on my heart. Please help me!" When what I'm really asking is "Do it for me and make life easy for me."
And God replies, "Pick up your pen, get out of your bed, put on your tennis shoes, try. I will help you. Just try."
And I fuss and fume and beg and cry.
God chuckles. "Child, you can do this! Just get started and show me you're willing to put forth effort. I will help you. But I won't do it for you. You will gain nothing if I do it all. Let's do this together."
Just try.
And if it is something you can't do. Do what He says then Stand and be amazed. "Nothing is impossible with God."
We ate pancakes for breakfast. The three year old cut his own. The six year old refused. "I want you to cut it." She cried. "I can't do it!."
"Please pick up your fork and put it in your pancake like this. And pick up you knife and try." I asked of her.
"I can't do it! I've tried before! I'll be the last one eating! I want YOU to do it!" and she burst into tears.
"Tears aren't going to help." I told her. "They will get you sent from the table."
"I can't help it! Help me cut it! I'm hungry!"
"You may leave the table to cry. When you're done, you can come back and try with a good attitude."
She stomped off to her room and put on a good show. Then she returned to the table and sat staring at her pancake. Without picking up knife and fork she began again.
"Can you help me, please?"
"Pick up your knife and fork and just try," I repeated.
She sat staring. The rest of us finished eating and read Bible. She still sat.
I really had planned to help her. She can do it herself. She's done it before. It does take awhile, but she can. The problem was, attitude and refusal to even try.
And God spoke to me.
"Sound familiar? "
"God, I want to be an author, or loose weight, or succeed in whatever dream is on my heart. Please help me!" When what I'm really asking is "Do it for me and make life easy for me."
And God replies, "Pick up your pen, get out of your bed, put on your tennis shoes, try. I will help you. Just try."
And I fuss and fume and beg and cry.
God chuckles. "Child, you can do this! Just get started and show me you're willing to put forth effort. I will help you. But I won't do it for you. You will gain nothing if I do it all. Let's do this together."
Just try.
And if it is something you can't do. Do what He says then Stand and be amazed. "Nothing is impossible with God."