REFLECTIONS

Father Knows Best

“Wait! Wait! I’m not ready yet,” I begged. The appeal worked the first time and maybe I received a temporary reprieve the second time too. But then the time came when my pleas were ignored and the anesthesia began to drip onto the mask placed on my face sending me into a deep and painless sleep.

My tonsils were to blame for frequent illnesses. So for my own good and above my incessant plea for delay, the time had come to remove them. I was only five years-old then, but I remember many other times my pleadings went unanswered. Many were the times I sat in my dad’s lap to beg for something I wanted only to have my request denied. Daddy had a better view, and his decisions served purposes beyond my own wishes.

Jesus spent lots of time on the lap of his father too. And just like the answers given to me, the responses he received did not always satisfy the appeal. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)  God didn’t provide the answer he wanted that night, but Jesus did find his Father’s presence alongside him, his love expressed for him, and strengthening support supplied to him. An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (Luke 22:43)

Many were the times my dad said no to my requests; but thinking back on those blissful days, his answers always served a greater good than were envisioned in my requests. And no matter what his answer, I always felt his presence alongside me, his love expressed for me, and his support provided to me. Answers to my requests did not always come as I asked for them. My dad answered them in the way that was best. His wisdom gave him a larger view of things than I could see.

Crawling into the lap of God to talk with him of our concerns, our desires, and to feel his love is what prayer is all about. We go to him in prayer fully understanding that our Father knows best. And when He says no, we can still count on his attention to hear our cries, and the warmth of his arms embracing our fears. Then in the quiet moments that follow, the most precious words we will ever hear will ring softly in our ears. The words say—“I love you.”

And we warm our Father’s heart when we say them back.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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