Never Fear...

Jesus is here! I know that sounds so well dumb, but in truth don't we see Jesus as some sort of superhero? I know you are wondering...what on earth is she thinking now? To be honest, I'm not sure...I was sitting here at my desk...at work (Yes I really do work) thinking about my friend Cyndi and her daughter & the question that her precious daughter caused Cyndi to pose...how do we show or teach our children that God does answer prayer.

So as my mind began to ponder this ageless question that I know all of us have had a time or two, I began to think about how we view God and how we perceive Jesus. Do we primarily view Jesus as a "Genie in a Bottle"? Do we look at him as some sort of "Fix It All Handyman"? If this is your view of Jesus, then I will challenge you to look at Him again.

Jesus did not come to earth, God in the flesh, to "fix" us or to "grant us" our "wishes". NO! Jesus came so that we would finally know and realize that God loves us! His creation that is so imperfect and flawed...He still loves us and really wants the best for us. It's like being a kid in a candy store...follow me here...

You are 8 years old, it's your birthday and your parents take you to the candy shop to pick out a special treat. You walk into the most delicious smelling store on the block. You have dreamed of this day. As you walk in...you mouth begins to water and your desire overtakes you and before you know it the "I have to haves" take over. As your parents have told you time and again to not eat too much, you begin to overfill your bag. Now...your mom comes over and reminds you that it is not good for you to have all these treats at once...too much will make you sick. The "rejection" stings and you begin to cry. You want what you want & after all didn't your parents "promise" to give you a special treat? As you begin to throw a tantrum in the middle of the store you realize that your bag of candy has busted open and is now all over the floor. You begin to cry more and now all feels lost. So much for your present! So much for mommy and daddy giving you what you asked for! You are devastated and so you decide that you want nothing from the candy store, because, after all, you aren't getting what you want anyways.

Now here it is a week later and you are beginning to feel bad because you think that you have ruined it all. No candy, no more special things from mommy and daddy, you just feel terrible. Without knowing why, really, you go and talk with your parents. You begin to tell them how bad you feel about your birthday, how you acted in the candy store and how it has just made you so sad inside. After a moment... your mommy and daddy smile at you - their faces just glowing! You realize that it doesn't matter how bad it may seem, they love you. They will always love you. Even though you didn't get what you wanted, you feel better knowing that they love you despite it all.

In that moment of understanding, your mommy and daddy lean towards you and give you hugs and kisses...and a bag. What's this? A bag? For me? Why, what is it? You open the bag and inside is a special treat...just for you...the candy that you wanted and now it's even better because your parents picked it out especially for you.

So how is it that we don't recognize God's answers to us? I believe it is because we are looking for something that is not ours to have. Wait upon the Lord and He will provide for all your needs and for some of your wants too.

I hope that this will help anyone who is struggling with this age old question.


~Peace & Blessings~
Jen