Daily Power #306

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:4 ESV)

When my daughter Mandy was just a little girl, we bought a box fan at a neighbor’s garage sale to cool her room. The fan was perfect except for a small hole in the corner of the protective plastic grate. My wife and I felt confident that Mandy wouldn’t find it, especially if we placed that side of the fan against the wall.

Then one evening after work, I lifted Mandy out of her crib to play with her. She had just started walking, and I basked in every minute of watching her tottering around. But that evening, my heart stopped.

Mandy bounced across the room, making a beeline straight toward the fan. To this day, I’m not sure how the fan got turned around with the exposed grating facing out. But Mandy seemed to eye the small hole with her fingers pointing directly toward the spinning and exposed blades.

Fueled by a rush of adrenaline, I dove across the room and managed to nudge Mandy aside before she could put her tiny fingers in the fan. When she hit the ground, dazed and confused, she started wailing in disappointment. Why hadn’t I let her do what she wanted to do? It was obvious: I saw a danger she couldn’t comprehend.

I wonder how many times we beg our heavenly Father to do something for us, but he doesn’t. When we don’t understand, it’s so easy to be disappointed, downtrodden, or discouraged. If God doesn’t let you have something you wanted to have, take a moment to thank him. Remember, his ways are higher than ours.

Your Father is always good.

Power Lift

Lord, thank you for protecting me from the dangers of getting what I want sometimes. Today I praise you for always having my best interests at heart.