I wish you were the BEST Mommy!

"I wish you were the best mommy."

Ouch. Those words can sting- especially when you are in the middle of a crowded video store. What would bring such exasperated words from a four-year-old?

"Mommy, can I have cotton candy?"

No, honey.

"Can I rent THIS movie?"

No, not tonight.

"An ice cream sandwich would make me feel better. Can I have ice cream?"

No. It's too close to bedtime.

"I wish you were the BEST mommy."

Oh, how familiar those words sound to my heart.

"Lord, can I have this?"

No, Tracy. Not this time.

"Lord, can I do this?"

No, Tracy, it is not the right timing.

"Lord, if You just allowed THIS- I would feel better!"

No, Tracy.

Sigh......Lord, I wish YOU were the "BEST Daddy."

In other words, I wish You would let me have my way! I wish You would say "yes" to the things I want! I want what I WANT!

Do you ever feel like that four-year-old?

I know in my mind what the Truth is- "God's ways are not my ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9). I also know Matthew 7:11. "If you then, evil as you are, know how to give and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven (perfect as He is) give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him." AMP

And yet.....

I can become focused on MY way. I can be stubborn, immature, and self-centered. I can lose sight of the fact that God is Sovereign. He is good. He answers prayer. HE knows what is best for me.

Cotton candy, although tasty is not good for me- especially at 7 PM. "THAT" movie would not be appropriate for my little eyes. And....alas....ice cream is wonderful, but I will not always be allowed to have it- especially right before bed when I have a difficult time going to sleep anyway! Because I love my daughter, I say no at times. Our Father in Heaven, who loves us infinitely more than we could ever love anyone, loves us too much to always say "yes."

We have to remember, God always, always "answers our prayers," but not always the way we want or understand. Sometimes, when God answers, the answer is “No.” Sometimes the answer is “not yet.” And it may not seem “right” or fair to us. We have to remember two important things- God’s ways are not our ways and God’s timing is not our timing. But, God’s ways are perfect and His timing is perfect. We can’t see things the way God can. God has your WHOLE life planned, not just this season of it. Remember, life on earth is just a snapshot of our eternal life. God sees the end from the beginning.

God is your FATHER. He has a plan for you. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He created you. He has counted the number of hairs on your head. He takes care of you, better than you ever could. Again, He knows what is best for you, or how you will grow from your life experiences. He can see “the big picture of your life.”

So, although we may not always get "the cotton candy," we can be assured that our Father loves us so much and ALWAYS does what is best for us.

"The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

And, as a mother, I have to make the hard choices that don't always make me the most "popular" with my children. I have to "do the hard thing" of telling them "no", even when my daughter tells the whole video store that I'm not the "best Mommy"!

Father, thank You for loving me so much. Lord, thank You that You sometimes say "no." Thank You that You are the best parent I could ever have. I love You, Lord. In Jesus' Name. Amen.