Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 NIV

“Can I have a canned drink?” my son appeared from nowhere, his face beet red, sweaty hair plastered to his head in the shape of his bicycle helmet. “How about some water,” I said and watched his mouth turn south. I reached down to grab more laundry to sort, and when I looked up he was gone. A few minutes later, I headed downstairs, laundry basket in tow. As I hit the first step, a darting gazelle in the shape of my son ran out of the den.

My curiosity piqued, I dropped the basket in the laundry room and set out in search for a seven-year-old boy. I found him in the playroom, scrunched down behind the dollhouse, his head tucked in his body. Sure I was going to catch him with a canned drink under his body, I asked, “Watcha doin’?” He didn’t budge.

“Colin, what are you doing in here?” I questioned again. One big, brown eye tilted upwards to survey my level of mad. Recognizing defeat, his slowly uncoiled his body. “Nothing,” he finally responded, revealing chewed up cookies in his mouth. As he straightened up, I noticed four butter cookies stacked on his pointer finger – the kind you eat in Sunday school.

“Colin, if you wanted something to eat, you should have asked. I would have said yes. You shouldn’t try to hide from me. I’m not mad at you for getting cookies, just a little disappointed at your not asking first,” I explained. As we returned to the den, I added, “It’s okay that you have butter cookies, but you just won’t be able to eat any of the brownies I had baking.”

I watched as my son’s eyes widened at the thought of brownies and fell at the realization he wasn’t getting any. He never should have taken matters into his own hands.

I shouldn’t take matters into my own hands either, yet, so many times I do. When I go out in search of a solution to my own problem instead of waiting on God, I often forfeit the goody He had baking for me. Brownies take a little time. They don’t provide the instant gratification like store-bought cookies, but they sure do taste better.

When we wait on God’s timing, the rewards are immeasurable. If only there was a timer on the stove of life telling us how much longer we had to wait!

Oh, Lord, you are such an awesome and benevolent Father. Thank you for the many gifts you give to me daily. God, help me to be patient and wait on the blessings you are working to make happen. Good things take time. I don’t want to live my life crouched behind bad choices. Give me the wisdom to come to You and wait for Your answers. Amen.