“…your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” – Matthew 6:8

Have you ever been waiting for your prayers to be answered and found the waiting period reminiscent of days from your childhood?  Those days when we submitted our gift requests to our parents and anxiously waited in expectation for the special occasion to arrive with our much-desired gift in tow.  We talked about the gift nonstop to anyone who would listen, we imagined how much joy it would bring us, and on occasion we lost sight of the gifts we already had while we waited for the brand-new gift to arrive. The forgotten gifts…piling up, neglected, and collecting dust. The same gifts we once begged for, the ones we couldn’t wait to get, the gifts our parents saved for and in some cases, sacrificed to purchase (that’s a word…).  The forgotten gifts that require just a little T.L.C. – waiting to be shared with someone else that could benefit from its purpose and the same joy the gift used to offer.

When the special day arrives, we are often so excited about the gift, we can’t think straight. We open the packaging only to find out it’s not what we asked for…it’s not the gift we wanted. We pretend to show our appreciation while trying to cover our disappointment and, in some cases, hold back tears. We were so certain that our parents were going to deliver on our request. Didn’t they read the list? Didn’t they hear me talking about it 24/7? Didn’t they think I deserved it? Why didn’t they tell me I wasn’t getting the gift I asked for?

After we get over the disappointment and sit with the gift our parents opted for, we realize they gave us a gift we needed. A gift with our best interests in mind. A gift that brings goodness into our lives, a gift they knew would be a better suited for us or in some cases, a gift that would prepare us for what we really wanted but were not mature or responsible enough to handle just yet.

Often, we become so fixated on what we want; we miss out on what we need to receive the gift our Father has in store for us. We miss the lessons that prepare us, the people we need, and the people God has placed in our path that will benefit from our current and future gifts.  We miss out on the process of allowing God to align our requests and our hearts for the new gift He eagerly wants to give us. Not the one we desired…the one He desires for us. The best gift. As He is preparing the gift, He wants to know that we trust Him and that He can trust us with the gifts He has for us.

The process of waiting can be challenging at times as we try to manage our desires, expectations, emotions, and our tendency to control the outcome. We become so focused on what we’re waiting for that we often lose sight of what is right in front of and what’s happening in between, we even tend to neglect the things we need to be maintaining while we wait. It is when we trust God and shift our focus to being present – present in the moment, present with the people in our lives, and present with God that we receive the best gifts. The gifts we need.

Trust our Father, He knows what we need before we even ask!

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

Matthew 6:30-33 MSG