He’s happy now…

His taste buds dancing with joy…

His face smeared with the remains of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

Not so long ago he was very unhappy…

Tears smudged his cheeks.

This morning… when he he woke up…

He stood up in his crib…

Looked directly at his mother and said, “Cake!”

It wasn’t a request.

It was a pronouncement.

He had eaten cake yesterday…

It was good.

“Cake,” he said again…

Confident that the provider of all good things would respond quickly…

He likes chocolate Cake!

He likes it after dinner…

He likes it before dinner…

He likes chocolate cake in the middle of the afternoon…

And the middle of the morning.

He likes chocolate cake any time of day.

But today his mother says“No” to chocolate cake before breakfast….

That leads to tears.

If he were an adult…

Tears might have lead to prayer…

And Prayer might have lead to questions…

Questions about why God sometimes takes so long to answer…

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Questions about why God sometimes says no…

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  James 4:3

Questions about whether God even hears prayer…

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Questions that grow from tears and prayer…

Are often questions of faith

Faith that exchanges sadness for Joy…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Faith that makes all things possible.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13