Story: True Joy
Story: True Joy
Anna looked longingly at the dolls in the store window. They were just like the doll that her friend had. Oh, if only she could have one of those dolls! Anna could picture how much fun she would have playing with her doll. She would dress it and care for it as tenderly as a mother cares for her child.
That night at dinner, Anna was uncharacteristically silent. Although her father tried several times to get her attention, Anna's mind was completely preoccupied with the dolls she had seen.
Normally Anna and her father would spend time together after dinner. Those evenings with her father were usually the highlight of Anna's day. But this evening, nothing seemed like any fun. Although she tried to talk with her father, Anna's mind kept wandering to the dolls.
"Father, can I have one of the dolls in Tonim's shop window?" she finally got the courage to ask.
Her father lovingly drew her toward him as he replied, "My darling daughter, a doll isn't really what you need right now. I want you to trust me to bring you what you really need."
Anna sighed. She certainly felt like she needed a doll! But she knew that she could trust her father. "Okay, Daddy," she whispered, "I'll trust you." Trusting her father, Anna skipped off to bed, lighthearted once again.
The next day, however, she went over to play with her friend, and, of course, her friend wouldn't stop playing with and talking about the doll she had. Anna could hardly stand it. She seemed to have forgotten all about her father's promise to provide what she truly needed. It seemed at the time that nothing but a doll could ever make her happy.
Instead of singing through her afternoon tasks, Anna mechanically moved through the day. Her life felt so miserable and empty. Every once in a while she would remember her father's promise, and a smile would flit quickly across her face. But what if her father forgot about his promise to provide what she needed? Or what if, when her father went to buy her a doll, they were all gone? That thought tormented her. Had she been a little wiser or older, she might have realized that the doll she thought would bring her happiness was really causing her to be unhappy.
Time passed by in this manner. Anna and her father hardly saw each other any more. It wasn't that Anna was purposefully avoiding him, but she just didn't seem to have room for any other thoughts besides the one thought that had consumed all her energy-getting one of those dolls. Many times she thought of how she might purchase a doll herself, but her genuine love for her father and her good upbringing prevented her from going against her father's wishes.
Finally, Anna could not stand her misery any longer. She simply had to talk with her father again. "Daddy, I really want a doll," she confessed.
"I know."
"You do?" Anna looked up in surprise. She thought for sure that her father had forgotten all about the doll. After all, he had so many other more important matters to handle.
"Of course I do. I've never forgotten my promise to bring you what you need, not even for a moment. And I've known all about your struggle, too. I've been waiting for you to talk with me."
Anna hung her head. Oh, why had she believed that her father didn't care!
Anna's father drew her lovingly onto his lap. "Anna, I want you to understand that the doll you long for, while it is such a nice, lovely thing, can't bring you happiness. Can't you see how it's already taken away your happiness? You will find true joy, not in a doll, but in delighting in the tasks before you each day. And I promise you that I will never, ever forget about you. Will you trust me to give you what you need each day?"
Anna nodded as she squeezed her father tightly. She would trust him. She went to bed that night with a lighter heart than she had for a long time.
The next morning, however, she awoke thinking about one of the dolls at the store. She had to work hard all day to check her thoughts and remind herself to trust her father and simply delight in what she'd been given. Gradually, Anna began to forget about her desire for a doll. She began to enjoy her daily tasks again. Her old smile returned. Best of all, she and her father were spending precious time together again.
As Anna grew to know her father better, she realized that, whether he ever gave her a doll or not, she could trust him. She discovered that true joy comes, not from getting what she wanted, but from complete surrender and delight in her father's wishes.
+++
Our lives are often like this! We think we know what we need and we certainly know what we want! All the time our Father is at work to provide what we truly need. Far too often we become impatient and attempt to obtain what our hearts desire with little or no regard to what the Father wants for us.
Jesus taught us, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Matthew 6:25-33
Our heavenly Father knows all we need and He even knows the desires of our hearts. It may just be He is protecting us by not giving to us what we desire. He my very well be calling us to seek first the kingdom of God! When we do this, we are assured of receiving all we truly need and desire.
Blessings this week,
Pastor Russ
Anna looked longingly at the dolls in the store window. They were just like the doll that her friend had. Oh, if only she could have one of those dolls! Anna could picture how much fun she would have playing with her doll. She would dress it and care for it as tenderly as a mother cares for her child.
That night at dinner, Anna was uncharacteristically silent. Although her father tried several times to get her attention, Anna's mind was completely preoccupied with the dolls she had seen.
Normally Anna and her father would spend time together after dinner. Those evenings with her father were usually the highlight of Anna's day. But this evening, nothing seemed like any fun. Although she tried to talk with her father, Anna's mind kept wandering to the dolls.
"Father, can I have one of the dolls in Tonim's shop window?" she finally got the courage to ask.
Her father lovingly drew her toward him as he replied, "My darling daughter, a doll isn't really what you need right now. I want you to trust me to bring you what you really need."
Anna sighed. She certainly felt like she needed a doll! But she knew that she could trust her father. "Okay, Daddy," she whispered, "I'll trust you." Trusting her father, Anna skipped off to bed, lighthearted once again.
The next day, however, she went over to play with her friend, and, of course, her friend wouldn't stop playing with and talking about the doll she had. Anna could hardly stand it. She seemed to have forgotten all about her father's promise to provide what she truly needed. It seemed at the time that nothing but a doll could ever make her happy.
Instead of singing through her afternoon tasks, Anna mechanically moved through the day. Her life felt so miserable and empty. Every once in a while she would remember her father's promise, and a smile would flit quickly across her face. But what if her father forgot about his promise to provide what she needed? Or what if, when her father went to buy her a doll, they were all gone? That thought tormented her. Had she been a little wiser or older, she might have realized that the doll she thought would bring her happiness was really causing her to be unhappy.
Time passed by in this manner. Anna and her father hardly saw each other any more. It wasn't that Anna was purposefully avoiding him, but she just didn't seem to have room for any other thoughts besides the one thought that had consumed all her energy-getting one of those dolls. Many times she thought of how she might purchase a doll herself, but her genuine love for her father and her good upbringing prevented her from going against her father's wishes.
Finally, Anna could not stand her misery any longer. She simply had to talk with her father again. "Daddy, I really want a doll," she confessed.
"I know."
"You do?" Anna looked up in surprise. She thought for sure that her father had forgotten all about the doll. After all, he had so many other more important matters to handle.
"Of course I do. I've never forgotten my promise to bring you what you need, not even for a moment. And I've known all about your struggle, too. I've been waiting for you to talk with me."
Anna hung her head. Oh, why had she believed that her father didn't care!
Anna's father drew her lovingly onto his lap. "Anna, I want you to understand that the doll you long for, while it is such a nice, lovely thing, can't bring you happiness. Can't you see how it's already taken away your happiness? You will find true joy, not in a doll, but in delighting in the tasks before you each day. And I promise you that I will never, ever forget about you. Will you trust me to give you what you need each day?"
Anna nodded as she squeezed her father tightly. She would trust him. She went to bed that night with a lighter heart than she had for a long time.
The next morning, however, she awoke thinking about one of the dolls at the store. She had to work hard all day to check her thoughts and remind herself to trust her father and simply delight in what she'd been given. Gradually, Anna began to forget about her desire for a doll. She began to enjoy her daily tasks again. Her old smile returned. Best of all, she and her father were spending precious time together again.
As Anna grew to know her father better, she realized that, whether he ever gave her a doll or not, she could trust him. She discovered that true joy comes, not from getting what she wanted, but from complete surrender and delight in her father's wishes.
+++
Our lives are often like this! We think we know what we need and we certainly know what we want! All the time our Father is at work to provide what we truly need. Far too often we become impatient and attempt to obtain what our hearts desire with little or no regard to what the Father wants for us.
Jesus taught us, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Matthew 6:25-33
Our heavenly Father knows all we need and He even knows the desires of our hearts. It may just be He is protecting us by not giving to us what we desire. He my very well be calling us to seek first the kingdom of God! When we do this, we are assured of receiving all we truly need and desire.
Blessings this week,
Pastor Russ
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