Tell Them Now

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

My son had lost his Nintendo DS. One minute he had it, and the next? It was gone.

Now, Matthew is known around our house for misplacing things, so I wasn't surprised when he told me he couldn't find the DS. I figured it would just show up – like all the other lost items tend to do. But this time, the lost item stayed lost for weeks. In fact, Matthew seemed to nearly forget about it. Until his friend called and invited him over to play.

Matthew was excited about the invitation and quickly donned his shoes and coat, and began looking for his DS. Matthew and this particular friend always play their DSs together.
Always.
Suddenly his eyes filled with tears because he remembered his DS was lost. And he began a frantic search. Yes, Matthew began searching and I began praying.

LORD, I know You know where Matthew's game is. Would You please, please show him today? Even now?

I was confident God knew the location of the absent DS and I planned to tell Matthew after we found it that I had prayed for God to show us. And then it was as if God said to me, No, Karen. Don't wait. Tell him now.

But, God, I argued, what if we don't find it now?

Tell him!

So I did. I said, "Matthew, I'm asking God right now to show us where your DS is."

Moments later – we found it! Stuck inside the couch through a hole I didn't know existed.

This time, it was Matthew who prayed, "Thank You, God, for finding my DS!"

And this time, his tears were happy tears.

As I reflected on this event with Matthew, hoping it would be something he always remembers, praying it would be a moment which grows his faith, I realized there was a lesson in it for me, too.

While it's good for me to point out God's faithfulness and remind my children of the ways He has answered our prayers, I think it's better for me to tell them I'm praying while we're still in the middle of the storm. I think it helps them learn to watch for God. I think it models faith in the midst of what we cannot see. And when God, in His perfect timing, resolves our situation – I think it brings Him more glory.

Are you in the middle of a difficult circumstance today? How about telling your kids – right now – that you're asking God to show you the way!

~ Karen