My beautiful daughter Nena! Oh the lessons I am learning through the gift of being her parent. I want to share one with you today.
Nena is the "Drama Queen" or DQ, as I affectionately refer to her, of our family. (I believe I run a close 2nd!) She is the one always acting, singing, leaping in wild abandon and over dramatizing everything. She is all about having fun and loves to dress up. Unfortunately she is easily bored and we don't have much in the way of "dress-up clothes".
She had been begging me for over month (ruthlessly, as DQ's are apt to do) to get her some dress up clothes. I kept insisting that she could earn them as a reward and then only if funds permitted.
I managed to scrape up some pennies and went on ebay to see what I could find. She was doing so well in school and I wanted so much to show her how proud I was by answering this fervent, repetious (and quite relentless) request of hers.
I found one beautiful used sparkly dress with puffed sleeves that I could afford. It arrived very quickly. I couldn't wait to give it to her when she came home from school. I had it all ready to hand her with praise for her good school work when she walked in the door.
Well.... I wish I could say that this little miss just jumped through the moon, but that was hardly the case. Oh she was okay, but nothing like the actual asking for it (i.e. oh pleaaaassssse mama I want a dress-up dress so badly... oh pleassssse mommy i'll do anything for some dress up clothes please please please). You get the point.
She opened the package and said "Oh... well thanks mom but I wanted a pink one!" Went to her room and put it on and came out and repeated how sorry she was it wasn't pink.
NOW... spoiled brat thoughts aside ya'll....I realize this is a problem. We are learning with being grateful for what we get and how lucky we are to have anything at all. That isn't the entire point I am making. Read on..
I sat down at my desk this afternoon (this about 2 weeks after the dress episode) and sighed because I was having to work from my bedroom because I have been without a real office job for over 4 months. I was feeling sorry for myself that my life seemed so unstructured and how were the bills going to get paid with just a small typing job from my home. GOD SPOKE!!!
He sweetly and lovingingly in that whispered way said... "Remember all those years ago when you prayed and prayed for a job that allowed you to work your own hours from home?"
Yes, Lord, I replied.
Child, what are you doing right now?
Working from home Lord. I replied as tears of humility began to form in my eyes.
I was struck just then with so many revelations. Gently as He always does.
First, God hears ALL our prayers and answers them at the right time. Sometimes the answers come years later. In fact, at times, they come so much later, we forget we have prayed for them. We need to always be mindful of what we pray for. We are a society of praying for so much more than we actually could handle that the end result is forgetting what you are praying for and when you get something... it seems insignificant. How unfair to our precious Father who wants to much to see a happy gleam in our eye. He wants us overjoyed. Just like I wanted to see in Nena. I wanted her overjoyed with the gift.
Second, I was so completely ungrateful. Just like Nena was when I gave her the blue dress instead of pink. God gave me a gift and I was so busy with what it wasn't I couldn't see what it was. This is an amazing blessing and I was ready to just disregard it as no big deal. THIS IS A HUGE DEAL!!! I am working from home. It may not be much but 2 weeks ago I had no job, no computer, no internet, no phone, no money for bills and no prospects. Today, I have a computer and not one but 2 monitors (all donated by my former employer). I have a printer donated by someone else. I have an internet connection paid for by the company I am typing for and that came with a phone line. How could I NOT be overjoyed and SOOOO GRATEFUL! Another person donated a brand new foot pedal and headset for digital dictation. I literally have what I need to take off in a home typing/virtual assist business AND I WAS POUTING because I didn't have an office to go to!!! WHAT A SPOILED BRAT!!!
Third, I have been blessed with an opportunity that I would not have had if I had not been without work. Sometimes one can't see the blessings through the circumstances. No job = no money to me. To God no job = fresh opportunity for expansion and growth.
OH PRAISE YOU LORD!!! I am again reminded of my favorite verse "I KNOW the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you NOT to harm you." Jeremiah 29:11. How wonderful your plans to prosper.
What I have learned... Be mindful of what you pray for so WHEN (not if.... WHEN) they get answered you haven't asked for so much you don't know you are getting something you asked for. Be grateful for every little thing no matter what form it comes in. Lastly, I have learned that the best lessons to me from the Father often come through when I am parenting my own children.
Blessings ya'll and thank you so much for your prayers. They are being answered!
