"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:7-11
The last few days I have been frustrated with my 6-year old. Whenever he wants something, he tells me what he has and what he doesn't have, and occasionally what he needs (usually while whining) but never asks for the thing that he wants. Instead, he whines that he was thirsty "all night" or that he has crayons and a notebook but no paper. Why can't he just ask me for what he needs? I will be more than happy to give him a glass of water or a stack of drawing paper!
As I was thinking about how much this was driving me crazy, I felt like God was saying, "Sound familiar?" And you know what? It does. I know I tell God what I am worried about, I talk to him about what I have and what I am lacking, but do I ask him for those things? Or am I just whining to the creator of the universe?
Seeing ourselves in our kids can be a humbling experience. Lord, help me to learn from my children, and help me see when I am 'whining' and instead learn to ask for my needs.
