Waiting for a Good Thing

I'm trying to write everyday.  I've been given that advice twice now so I'd better follow through!  My dearest little girl is sick today - stomach flu.  It is the WORST when a little one has the stomach flu.  First of all, they don't know where to throw-up; the toilet, a bucket, a sink.  Consequently, you often end up with puke all over whatever happens to be in close proximity to the sick one.  Today it was her bed;  sheets, bedspread, blankets, pillow, and any unfortunate stuffed animal that happened to be close by.  Anyway, I did my best to carry out my motherly duties - although I almost lost my lunch a couple of times while I was cleaning up.

The other thing that is hard when a little one has the stomach flu, is the fact that they don't know why they can't have anything to eat or drink.  They, of course, don't understand that whatever goes in will, inevitably, be coming back up.  So, they stare at you with these big sorrowful eyes, sometimes crying because you won't give them anything to eat or drink.  Oh, it is the worst. 

Can't think of any moral to this little story.  Well . .. maybe I can.  I think that when we go through something hard in our lives, we often wonder why we can't have something that we're almost certain we need.  Usually what we want is, or at least seems to be, a good thing.   So what's the deal?  Why don't we get what we want when we want it?  Well, I think as a parent I understand a little more how God operates.  Just like I know that my sick one can't have food or water right now, even though they are good, even neccessary things, so God must withhold certain things in our lives for our own well-being.  The things we want aren't intrinsically bad for us, only bad in the time we want them.  It's a hard lesson to learn, this letting God be God.  But it's an important one.  Try to remember why I'm not giving my little girl anything to eat or drink today, and apply that understanding to whatever "good thing" you're waiting for at this point in your life.