Please, Mom Please

Noah and I took our Wednesday Venture to see Grandma and Grandpa Hart at the Marriott Hotel. He was off track, it had been cold and raining, and an invitation was extended...so we accepted. There was room service, swimming, visits to the Concierge, in room movies, a Murphy bed and chocolate ice cream. All, with the exception of the Murphy bed, began with "Please, Mom Please." What parent does not want to give their child the whole world? I jumped into the joys of pleasing Noah with both feet.

The following day, Grandpa, Noah and myself decided to give our imaginations a whirl at Discovery Gateway. If you are missing that youthful heart, grab a child and explore...magnets, stories, media, helicopters, building blocks, legos, grocery store, farm, mail man...it is there. As I observed, it was evident that this place was not just for children. It proved to be everything Noah (and Grandpa) hoped it would be. One could hardly get up the strength to leave such fun behind. The little gift shop was the perfect lure to the exit...

But ah, the gift store, to take some of this fun and adventure home with you. Noah wandered that store looking for the perfect souvenir to purchase. I am in this rock and a hard place trying to teach him you don't have to get a prize every time you leave the house kind of mode. Nonetheless, we looked. He picked up tops and magnets and then he saw under the 30% off pile, a box of blocks. We don't have blocks at the clubhouse. He does like to build. Even Grandpa thought this was a worthwhile item. Twenty dollars plus 30% off couldn't do too much damage was my thought.

I overheard Grandpa ask the woman the price of these blocks. "One Hundred Thirty Four Dollars, and with the 30% off about $91."Are you kidding me? Who spends that kind of money on children's toys? "Please, Mom Please..." was the repeated phrase, then the tears and the begging. Both Grandpa and myself wanted to get those blocks in the worst way. I thought of the many trips to the grocery store aisle and the number of cheap toys that were purchased only to be broken before arriving home...the difference was the cost. It would not cost either of us much money to learn that the toy was a cheap imitation for happiness. I held firm in my resolve, "That is just too much money. Surely we can find some blocks for less money elsewhere...I am sorry, no, we are not going to get the blocks...If it is still something you want, you can save your money for them." This wasn't spoiled brat kind of tantrum, it was broken hearted. I felt so sad and yet I knew this item was not worth the cost. Noah could not understand it now, but I knew with time and maturity, the day would come when he would be grateful we didn't spend that much money on a set of blocks. After I dropped him off, I started to reflect on the frustrations of my day. I too, had wanted something desperately. I too threw my own kind of tantrum when information I had been waiting for had been postponed once again. I thought of my loving and wise Heavenly Father. How many times I go to Him in prayer, "Please, Father, Please."...and how He must delight to be able to give me things that will bring such a sense of joy.

There must be some things that I ask for that He knows is just a cheap imitation, but there is little or no cost, and so He allows the lesson of learning. Then there must be times when I want something that seems to fit my needs perfectly and so I plead and there must be other times when He wants in the worst way to provide me with those things, but He knows that a particular something is not worth the cost and so He says "no," knowing that with time and maturity, I will be grateful I did not indulge at so great a cost.

What I learned from Noah: We are not so different. Noah wanted something. I wanted something. Both behaved similarly. Both will now wait for time and maturity to teach us the cost of this lesson...and that Heavenly Father loves me enough to say "no" sometimes, just as I said "no" to Noah.