Under the Christmas Tree
Noah appeared from his room this morning while I was reading my Bible, and found two wrapped gifts under our Christmas tree. One bearing his name, one with Seth's.
"Why does Seth get the biggest one?" came the inevitable question. Human nature, and I had seen it coming. Had predicted the night before that he would say exactly that.
Like any normal parent, I said something snide like, "If you're not going to be thankful, I'll just return it to the store and you won't get anything." Who hasn't heard that from their parent's mouth at least once? It has a way of nipping in the bud any more unthankful comments.
I went back to my Bible reading in Deuteronomy 8. I had been reading all about the faithfulness of God in leading the Israelites through the desert; how He gave them manna which they knew not, to test them, to show them what was in their hearts. To remind them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God. I had been dwelling on the fact that God gives each person exactly what He wants them to have; trials and blessings alike. God's purpose in it is to bring about good--He said so in Deuteronomy 8 (and Romans 8, and several other places). God handpicks all that He gives us to exactly suit our needs, and to bring Himself the most glory.
Then I got to thinking about what had just happened under the Christmas tree and how it related to my Bible reading. Noah had seen a bigger gift for someone else and assumed it was the better gift, and demanded why it hadn't been given to him. Which, if I'm honest, I do too! Let's step on my toes for a minute, shall we?(This will be just one example, though I could probably come up with hundreds more.) I look at someone else's quiver of children, which happens to be bigger, and I assume it's better. I complain to God that He didn't give me a bigger quiver. When in fact, He who makes no mistakes has chosen exactly for me, not only the number in my quiver, but the temperaments and abilities and weaknesses of those children. It is for my best, to the end of making me the most Christlike that I can be. A more spiritual me is exceedingly thankful to God for choosing for me better than I would choose for myself.
At breakfast, the subject of big presents came up again, and this time I said what I should have said to Noah in the first place, if I had had my spiritual thinking cap on.
"You know, Noah, Daddy and I chose the gifts we wanted you and Seth to have. Based on your interests and ages, we picked out the right gifts for each of you. Seth's may have come in a bigger package, but you can be sure that you wouldn't like it as well as the one we got for you. God does the same thing for us! He picks out exactly what He wants us to go through, and it will be different for you than it is for someone else. That just means that God is wiser than we are, and He knows what is best. I think you'll be thankful when you see what the gifts turn out to be; you'll see that Seth's gift wouldn't have been a good fit for you, and that yours wouldn't have been a good fit for him."
I can't wait to see the look on Noah's face when he opens that gift! Or on mine when I get to heaven and see God's perfect plan for myself.
"Why does Seth get the biggest one?" came the inevitable question. Human nature, and I had seen it coming. Had predicted the night before that he would say exactly that.
Like any normal parent, I said something snide like, "If you're not going to be thankful, I'll just return it to the store and you won't get anything." Who hasn't heard that from their parent's mouth at least once? It has a way of nipping in the bud any more unthankful comments.
I went back to my Bible reading in Deuteronomy 8. I had been reading all about the faithfulness of God in leading the Israelites through the desert; how He gave them manna which they knew not, to test them, to show them what was in their hearts. To remind them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God. I had been dwelling on the fact that God gives each person exactly what He wants them to have; trials and blessings alike. God's purpose in it is to bring about good--He said so in Deuteronomy 8 (and Romans 8, and several other places). God handpicks all that He gives us to exactly suit our needs, and to bring Himself the most glory.
Then I got to thinking about what had just happened under the Christmas tree and how it related to my Bible reading. Noah had seen a bigger gift for someone else and assumed it was the better gift, and demanded why it hadn't been given to him. Which, if I'm honest, I do too! Let's step on my toes for a minute, shall we?(This will be just one example, though I could probably come up with hundreds more.) I look at someone else's quiver of children, which happens to be bigger, and I assume it's better. I complain to God that He didn't give me a bigger quiver. When in fact, He who makes no mistakes has chosen exactly for me, not only the number in my quiver, but the temperaments and abilities and weaknesses of those children. It is for my best, to the end of making me the most Christlike that I can be. A more spiritual me is exceedingly thankful to God for choosing for me better than I would choose for myself.
At breakfast, the subject of big presents came up again, and this time I said what I should have said to Noah in the first place, if I had had my spiritual thinking cap on.
"You know, Noah, Daddy and I chose the gifts we wanted you and Seth to have. Based on your interests and ages, we picked out the right gifts for each of you. Seth's may have come in a bigger package, but you can be sure that you wouldn't like it as well as the one we got for you. God does the same thing for us! He picks out exactly what He wants us to go through, and it will be different for you than it is for someone else. That just means that God is wiser than we are, and He knows what is best. I think you'll be thankful when you see what the gifts turn out to be; you'll see that Seth's gift wouldn't have been a good fit for you, and that yours wouldn't have been a good fit for him."
I can't wait to see the look on Noah's face when he opens that gift! Or on mine when I get to heaven and see God's perfect plan for myself.
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