“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
–Matthew 7:9-11
A tradition that I carried from my own family was that for birthdays that the birthday girl or boy was permitted to choose the meal or restaurant that we would use as the base for the celebration. The annual ritual also empowered the person of honor to choose what type of cake and who should be invited to the ceremony. It was a golden opportunity to be a person of distinction. One of my kids typically chose tuna casserole at our house for his birthday event. I found this a bit ordinary, but it is what he wanted. We would bless him with his wish. The cake too was rarely anything majestic not would it be anything that I would have chosen. However, it was not my birthday. The event belonged to him, and I would not dampen the event for my own preferences. I know that the heart of my children is in the hands of God and that I had been called to be a steward of that heart.
The gifts we would give them would also have to speak to their hearts. One would get items that were music related. His passion was for music so giving him something that was more in line with the arts would have missed the mark. My daughter loved art and craft supplies, so her gifts were usually things that spoke to that passion. The youngest liked Legos so his gifts would include a good supply of tiny plastic blocks. I knew how to give good gifts to my children.
If I could figure this out from mere observation of my children. How much more can our God, that knows the heart more than I ever could, offer good gifts. Not only does He know our heart He also knows the future and what is best for us. Unfortunately, many of us go through seasons where we simply do not trust that God is rooting for us. We assume that because we did not get the spouse or the job or the home that we wanted that He is our enemy. But let us be honest, my friends, how often have you complained about the spouse, job and home He gave you the last time you asked for those things? My friends, God is on your side. He is enamored with you. He longs to woo you with good gifts. When we go to Him in prayer and ask for things we need to ask while believing that He is there, ready to hand out items that match the heart that He has given us. We also need to trust that if He holds back, He also knows what He is doing.
