"Ask and ye shall receive"

I remember times when the girls were little and they'd ask for something and, instead of providing whatever it was they wanted, I'd say, “Not now!” Being children and (could it be???) because they might have actually needed whatever it was they were asking for, they'd persist and I'd try to ignore them after issuing an angry glance. I'm not proud of the memory. They were kids. And, looking back, I'm sure that whatever they wanted was secondary to needing my attention. At the time, I wanted to stop being interrupted - but I know now that what I needed was their soft little arms around my neck.

What if, instead of assumptions and dismissing eyes, I had taken a moment, listened to them, and given them what they were really asking for; me?

The girls are grown now and seem no worse for my moments of not-so-great mothering. (Proof of God’s grace and understanding!) But I still wonder how those moments might have been transformed - for each of us - if I had paid attention and discovered the needs that were under the wants.