“Cwackas”
It’s 5:47am. I awake to find two little hazel eyes staring at me. I don’t know when my toddler entered my room, or how long she’s been waiting, but I know why she’s there. She’s on a mission, and she has a request that will not be denied.
“Mama? Cwacka?”
Barely lucid, I slide out of bed and usher her back to her room. I tuck her in and console her with promises of crackers and juice in the morning. Placated, she goes back to sleep.
It’s 2:02 pm. Lunch, junk mail, sippy cups and laptops cover our family table. As the children eat, I hurry to pack the diaper bag, and collect coats and shoes; we have a doctor’s appointment at 2:45 pm that we’d already rescheduled . . . twice. As I rush the children away from the table and into the car, my two year old protests. This isn’t unusual; fussing is her passion. However, just as I’m about to buckle her into her car seat, she poses a question that stops me in my tracks:
“Mama? Cwacka?”
I’d forgotten her crackers . . . again. I consider going back into the house to retrieve them, but decide against it. We’re going to be late and I could live without the crumbs, so I promise her more crackers when we return. Satisfied, she plays with her shoelaces.
It’s 8:00 pm. The girls are fed, bathed, brushed and dressed—All ready for bed. I tuck my two-year-old into her sheets and read her a story. I sing her special song and pray for her. Just as I’m about to turn out the light, I hear it. The request that had been on her mind all day—the one that I had promised to grant. The one that I had forgotten.
“Mama? Cwacka?”
A Bible verse pops into my mind: “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we give up on our prayers? How often do we make our requests to God, wait for a moment, and then walk away discouraged by His silence? But the Bible teaches that we are to persist in our prayers, believing that God hears us and trusting that our fervent pleas will succeed.
No one has to teach babies about persistence. It’s as natural to them as breathing. They cry until they’re pacified, and a toddler will badger you into submission. They don’t doubt your love for them, or assume the worst about your character. No, they just ask. And ask. And ask. With arms wide and expectations high, they ask until they finally receive.
That night, I sat up with my toddler and together we shared a midnight snack of crackers as I contemplated this valuable lesson. I’m not a perfect parent—but God is. And if my request is right in His eyes, He’ll make sure I get my cwackas too. I just have to ask . . . like a toddler.
Dear Lord, please help me not to become discouraged as I wait on you to act in my life. I know you know what’s best for me, and I’m confident you always hear me when I pray. So please help me to have the strength to ask . . . and ask . . . and ask until I receive your best. Amen.