Chocolate Milk and God

I promised Philip chocolate milk after breakfast this morning.

He was delighted and excited and being such a good boy.

He gleefully sat patiently at the kitchen counter awaiting this special treat.

I poured his milk then proceeded to empty the Hershey's syrup into his cup.

But we had a problem.

The syrup was...dun dun dun....empty. Oh no.

Times when Phili will wait patiently for something he is super excited about are very few and far between so I knew I needed to act fast to reward his good behavior.

I quickly wracked my brain to come up with a substitute. After brushing off a few not-so-clever ideas I came up with an idea. Not the best idea but it would have to do.

I took a chunk of a half eaten Hershey's candy bar out of the fridge and put it in a bowl in the microwave to melt which I would then pour into warmed up milk and...there ya have, warm chocolate milk. I used to do it with my coffee in desperate times.

But, my good boy's patience was quickly being tested as he watched step by step my every action. This microwave business was not a part of his plan and clearly, he wasn't having it.

As I patiently awaited the microwave ding, he grew impatiently upset. He started throwing a tantrum and wanted it now. I tried to explain to him that the chocolate needed to melt in the microwave which I'm sure sounded like a foreign language to his little ears. and he wasn't having any of it.

"Phili, if we take it out now, it will be all chunky and not as good"

Didn't care. No part of him wanted to wait and at that point, neither did I. So, I took it out of the microwave and poured it into his milk. Lo and behold, it was a chunky mess.

If he would have just waited a little bit longer I could have given him a much better, much smoother chocolate milk. But, he wanted it his way and on his time.

Hmmm...hits a little close to home for me and my relationship with our Father. How many times does God have something wonderful in store for me but I impatiently take my own path thinking that my way will be better? I shudder to think about how many times I have made a decision based on impulse or impatience when all along God was patiently waiting for me with a plan much more wonderful than I could ever imagine.

The older I get the more I realize, I cannot make it through a day without God.

Sure I stumble and fall everyday. I say things I regret or spend too much time on something that isn't very fruitful, but one thing I know is that He is there to lift me back on my feet with a love and grace so amazing that I can't even begin to imagine yet I will humbly accept it.

I like, or should I say I need to wake up before Philip and spend time with God in the morning. This morning Philip woke up early so I wasn't able to do so and to be honest it just doesn't feel right. Something has felt missing all morning. I know what it is and I am so thankful that when I am finished with this post, He will be right there waiting for me. What a gift. I want to leave you with a verse and a saying that mean so much to me.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

“I'm not where I need to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be" ~Joyce Meyer