Olivia is celebrating her 6th birthday in Texas (2015). She is the youngest of our three (great) grandchildren and she loves monkeys. We sent her brother and sister boxes through the mail for their birthdays, and she felt left out. We live in Beijing, so Grandma Far-Far-Away sent her a box full of monkeys. I thought she had outgrown her love of monkeys, but I was wrong. She loved getting her own box in the mail and the soft toy monkeys she found inside.
These gifts of love must have raised her expectations of what Grandma would do for her, if only she would ask. When we called to wish her a Happy Birthday, she asked Grandma to send her a real monkey for Christmas. She was sure that Grandma would do it. Trying to distract her, I said she already had a real monkey, her brother Isaiah. She emphatically repeated, “Isaiah is not a monkey!” as I tried in vain to convince her. I didn’t want to tell her no and suddenly realized they don’t have real monkeys in China. When I told her, she seemed satisfied that we couldn’t send her what we didn’t have. It was so important to her, the first thing she said to her Mom the next morning was “Do you think they don’t have monkeys over there in China that Grandma can send me?” She didn’t doubt Grandma, but she wasn’t so sure about my answer.
I’m not sure where she got the idea to ask Grandma for a real monkey, but it must have been a very important request. Why else would she ask for that, when she believed she could ask for anything? That child-like faith is what GOD wants from us. He wants us to believe that He “so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16) to pay for our sins and give us eternal life. If we ever realize just how much He really loves us, we will “ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7). GOD won’t try to distract us from our request, and He loves us enough to tell us no, if he has something better. In the light of His great love for us, what we ask from GOD should reflect our love for Him and others, who He loves just as much as he does us.
Wayne Lance (2015) – That’s Good News to Share!