“I hope there will be another tunnel!”
The six year old’s enthusiasm and delight in going right through the mountains was contagious. But armed with knowledge and experience in the front seat, we knew the third one was the last one on the Pennsylvania turnpike.
“Nope, that was the last one- they were fun weren’t they?”
From the back seat “I am still going to pray for one more tunnel!”
Imagine our surprise when not many miles later, a fourth and final tunnel through the Alleghany Mountains appeared. Maybe our memory isn’t as good as we thought. Or maybe God came and blasted through, just for the hope-filled boy in the back. I suppose both are equally likely.
My mind went to a video I had recently watched with my mom’s group. We are reading “Guarding Your Child’s Heart” and in this video session the author, in his early 70s, is interviewing his grown children. The daughter is joking with her brothers about the pony that she prayed for years to have. She remembers her dad saying if you are going to pray for a pony, you need to get a saddle. She never did get the pony, but you could tell it was a treasured memory for the whole family.
It really was a side conversation to the main points in the video, but as I thought of my son hoping for another tunnel, it came sweetly to my mind. I couldn’t quite name why it touched me. I shared the story with my husband on our drive last week from Western PA to Philly.
He said “I love that. He is teaching his children that parents aren’t in control of the world.”
Ahh, yes. That is it.
The author knew that they probably weren’t going to get a pony. At least not with their current resources or life situation. But he believed in a God who could. He believed in teaching his daughter to pray for something that only God could do.
Yes, it may lead to disappointment. It may lead to surprise. But most importantly it leads to knowing a God who wants relationship. In all our hopes and desires and fears. He cares. He’s in control.
We can’t out-ask God. There is nothing in the world we can request that he doesn’t have the ability to deliver. We can’t out-dream God. There is not one dream in your heart that is too much for Him.
Yes I know not all request come true and not all dreams are realized. And someday I will see a more complete picture of why that is true. But that is not what this post is about. It is about asking for 4th tunnels and for ponies.
This is what I want my son to see. A God of infinite resources. A mama who clings desperately to Him to provide every need. A mom who knows the most precious gem I can offer my children will be a life surrendered. A life acknowledging all my riches come from Him.
Stand. It is the word God gave me at the beginning of the year. To not “sit”, to not give up. To not “run”, getting ahead of Him. But to wait, to be With Him.
To stand as a mom. Teaching my son of the abundant life hidden in Christ. Letting him teach me to believe in a God who blasts tunnels when the ‘experts’ say there are no more. This month this is where God is calling me to Stand.
So go buy your saddle, ask for a tunnel and let’s stand to see what the Lord will do.
{top image credit}
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Do you see my cool OneWord Button on the right? I would have no idea how to make that. But the very talented Melanie at Only a Breath does and she made them for anyone participating in OneWord who wanted one.
And not only that, but she is hosting a monthly link up. Go check it out here, you will love reading everyone’s word and what their journey has been thus far!
Linking with The Better Mom, and Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday
“We can’t out-ask God.” Love this!
Melanie,
Thanks for these words. I needed to be reminded that I cannot out-ask God. Very needed today.
Beth
Melanie – can I just tell you how much I love that you are writing this post to encourage us to ask for the pony and the 4th tunnel? That in doing that, we teach future generations that we can’t ask for a thing that God can’t deliver. He may not, and we may never understand why, but He can. And that’s the God of deliverance that I want to teach my little ones of. I so enjoyed this post!
A part of human nature seems to remember the ponies we don’t receive (still waiting on mine, but now I don’t want to feed it… so I’m hoping it doesn’t show up, at this point) and not remember the tunnels we do. I’ve asked God for so much, and received so much. And forgotten…
And then… there are things I didn’t even know how to ask for, like asking for “a closer relationship” and receiving intimacy that I’d have felt greedy to ask for – had I even been able to imagine it. I’m glad he didn’t just give me a pony, but I’m not sorry I asked. To ask is to open the heart and present it to him, and love Him because you know he’ll find the right answer to that request.
Melanie! I have good news! I had heard the same sentiment from a wise colleague who said about College “get accepted, and then figure out how to pay for it.” Well, I finally applied for Trinity Lutheran College’s new Informatics Program. I got accepted! I have been granted some scholarship aid from the school, and Federal loans. With those, and my current income, it is doable! And I still have all summer to apply for outside scholarships. Thank you for reminding me I can still ask God for help. Especially in the areas where I don’t feel deserving.
Funny that you mention ponies! In my group on Sunday, a kid asking for a pony was an example. I’d heard it on the radio last year as an example of responding versus reacting to your children.
Child says, can I have a pony?
Typical reaction of many: No, we can’t afford it. You can’t ride and where would we keep it? And do you know how much they cost to feed?
Alternative: Wow, what a cool idea. Wouldn’t that be awesome if we could get one? Imagine riding to school, and showing your friends, and spending weekends grooming and riding. Maybe one day God might make that possible!
Too many times I have reacted the first way. I am learning to respond the second way. To teach way beyond their material world on now, into the unseen and into the future.