One night I allowed my kids to have cookies and milk. As it was getting late, I only allowed for 1 cookie. That's my soft side meeting my stone cold side. I offer good things, but only. so. much.
After all, I can't go letting the kids think I'm on their side. They'll go around telling their friends about how I'm their cookie source. I have a reputation to protect, plus I need to make sure there's plenty of cookies left for me.
I digress.
But my oldest didn't hear me, with bedtime prep being a bit of a crazy time at our house. So after the other two were done, I found her with a stack of cookies and a glass of milk. I informed her I had limited to the others to one cookie. She put the extra cookies back, without complaint, but then asked me, "What am I going to do with all this milk?"
She's a smart cookie and poured an amount of milk that would be proper to soak up the stack of cookies she had. Of course, she heard what she wanted to hear and acted accordingly.
All ended well, but like most interactions with my children, my learning increased.
My children hear dessert and they won't blink twice before indulging in as much as will be allowed. I imagine I used to be like that. But somewhere along the way I, we, all of us, look for the catch. We hear of cookies being offered and we wonder about the cost. If it's not monetary, we'll come to realize it's the calories. Sure, have a cookie now, as long as you're prepared to punish yourself at the gym.
While there is the reality between eating cookies and needing exercise, this is a worldly economy. Our real problem isn't with our metabolism. It's with us connecting this way of thinking with God's promises. We look for the catch. We assume there's a price. But that isn't the way God works.
It seems to me that when God makes a promise, we should come ready to engage and enjoy. My girl was prepared for cookies. That's much better than the alternative of coming to a table full of promise, asking for permission for what's already been given freely.
The invitation to the table has been given. There's more than plenty. So pour yourself a tall glass of milk. You're gonna need it.
Comments