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“You don't have
because you don't ask; and when you do ask,
you ask for the wrong things.”
Back when my dad was still flying airplanes, my mother's dad
became ill and she needed to travel to be with him. My brother and I ended up staying with my
dad's parents who did not know the Lord.
My grandfather immediately found a connection with my brother with
sports and building things, but he and I had very little in common. Finally Grandad latched on to something we
could talk about and share - books! I
loved to read and he was impressed at the level of books I was tackling. It felt good to talk about how the Wizard of
Oz was different from the movie, and how I sounded out “Lilliputians” in
Gulliver's Travels.
After 3 days of being cooped up at my grandparents house due
to rain, Grandad decided to take my brother and I to the store. In the car they talked about the model
airplane my brother was going to get. I
was only half-listening when my Grandfather caught my eye in the rear view
mirror.
“Don't you want anything Lisa?” he asked.
He had caught me off guard.
I only knew I wasn't interested in any old model airplane. But I did want Grandad's attention.
“How about a doll?
Wouldn't you enjoy a new doll, Lisa?” my grandmother asked.
It was obvious she did NOT know me very well. I did NOT like dolls. But wanting to avoid offending I said,
“Um... okay.”
“No, I know what Lisa wants.
She wants a new book. Why don't
we go to the book store after we get your brother's airplane? You can pick out anything you want!” Grandad was very pleased by the wide-eyed
response he got. A trip to the bookstore
- just for me! I was excited.
My brother took forever looking at planes, but finally his
model was paid for and we were on our way to look at books. Grandma and my brother waited outside and
Grandad took me by the hand into what is still one of my favorite places - the
bookstore. I ran my fingers down the
spines of beautiful, fresh new books.
There were large books with amazing illustrations and fat books that
would take me ages to finish. Grandad
was lost in thought remembering his own favorite stories when a display across
the room caught my eye. I dashed toward
the spinner rack where a book captured my attention. Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang! I'd seen the movie, I loved Dick Van Dyke, I
thought the woman was beautiful, I knew the song... I had to have the
book!!
Grandad looked at the cheap cardboard book with it's garish
illustrations and then pointed back at the shelves.
“You don't want that!
Come look over here. There's a
copy of Little Women. You'll love that
story.”
“No - I want this one Grandad! It's just like the movie! Please?
Can't I have this one?”
“You're sure? That's
the one you want? It's awful... take a
look at this...”
I held Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang! to my chest and followed
Grandad slowly over to the shelf of children's classics.
“Let me get one of these for you. They're much nicer - you'll read them over
and over again.”
I didn't say anything.
I didn't want to be rude, but my mind was already made up.
Grandad looked down at me and sighed. I could see his disappointment. He did not approve of my choice. But he reached out, took the book to the
cashier, and purchased it for me.
I was thrilled. For
about a day. And then the book was set
aside for an old favorite I found on my Grandfather's shelf. Grandad never said anything about my book,
but I knew I had asked for the wrong thing.
There were so many books I could have asked for -- books he would have
loved to give me that had value that would grow with time. There was nothing wrong with Chitty Chitty
Bang! Bang! It was just less than what
he wanted for me.
I'm learning the same lessons about prayer these days. I see my Heavenly Father giving wonderful
gifts to others and I feel a little left out.
I fail to ask Him for my heart's desire until He makes it obvious that
He wants to give me something. Finally I
get the courage to ask... and I ask for so much less than what He wants to
give. I settle for a cheap cardboard
book instead of the rich treasures that grow dearer with time.
Lord, teach me to pray.
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