I asked Mom if she could prepare us a snack as I brought her a box of cookies. Yes, this was a big hint as to what I really wanted for snack. I thought I might as well do her a favor and help her out by giving her an idea for snack. Often, very often, she doesn’t know what to prepare for snack. She says that she already has to think of lunch and dinner menus, so breakfasts and snacks can be up to us to figure out sometimes. Ok, so I was doing just that, wasn’t I?
“Why these?” she asked me. “I was saving these for a special occasion or for when we have guests over.”
I replied in my most gentle voice, that today was a special day because the Lord made it. We should rejoice and be glad in it.
“By why should that special day include cookies?” she asked. “Can we be happy and rejoice without these cookies?”
“Well, yes, we can.” was my reply. “But we can be even happier because of these cookies. Plus God made food for us to enjoy, you know.”
“But he didn’t make these cookies.” Mom went on.
“But he made the ingredients,” I replied with my smart thinking brain. “And he gave people the gift of baking these cookies, so therefore it must mean that we can eat them right now and be glad as we do it.”
Mom gave a smile and a quiet “Okay! Though it sounds to me that the way you remember this verse is: This is the snack the Lord has made. I should be glad and take advantage of it.”
Exactly right! She couldn’t have put it better! Well, most of all, I was kind of proud of myself for being so wise and so quick to answer. God must have helped me out with that one!
I did realize one thing though. Sometimes I don’t take the time to explain things so well. Maybe it’s really hard work for my brain to do that. And so I just ask a quick question, without really thinking about how to make it sound the most appealing for the person to answer in a positive way. And then I get upset if I don’t get my way. Here I used tactic, my best communication skills, a gentle voice and even a verse to back up my point. Please congratulate me!
How do you get your Dad or Mom to agree to something you would like?