The Christmas list

I remember as a child the excited anxiety that would begin to set in when those sought after Christmas catalogs would arrive in the mail. The way my heart would race as I turned the pages seeking just that one gift that would make my life so much better. Then, as I spotted the toy that answered my hearts longing, I would get that red pen out and circle it over and over again, knowing this is what Santa would bring.

Now, as the parent, I watch my children with this same longing and I wait to hear what that toy will be. This year, Gavyn decided not to wish for a toy at all. He instead has placed at the top of his wish list a ring. Not any ordinary ring, but a magical one! A ring that can grant any wish for treasures on this earth. Now we have tried explaining the logic of this to him, how if he got the ring it could lead to an ungrateful heart; how having everything you want is not always what we need; how his heart may grow complacent if all his wishes always came true; and what if the ring fell into the wrong hands…what then? But all reasoning is out the door, and I understand how much he believes this can come true. He believes simply that anything is possible.

As I thought about his wish I realized how close it is to what I expect of the Lord. He is my ring and sometimes I wish for things that I should not and cannot have. If I had everything, I may not be grateful for what I do have; I do not need everything I desire; and my heart may not love the Lord as much if He gave me everything I wanted; and maybe if He did, I would stop worshipping the true God and instead turn to greedy Satan. But I do believe that the Lord will provide and provide he does, just not always in the way I wanted.

Isa 55:8 (NIV) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

This Christmas season (and hopefully far beyond that) I will remember Gavyn’s wish and I will reflect on how we all have desires that the Lord may or may not grant us. I will also remember how my heart pitter-pattered when I walked down the stairs Christmas morning and as I learn more about my Lord, the pitter-pattering will continue.