Peanuts and Prayers
I just finished unloading groceries. It’s 12:20 A.M. Sometimes the “maintenance of life” zaps my joy. As I re-stocked our cupboards in the quiet of night (or is it morning?), I asked God to lift my eyes above the monotony of motherhood and show me something special to His heart.
While I was talking to my Maker, I slid a jar of peanuts onto the pantry shelf. And God proved once again that He has a laugh-out-loud sense of humor. One glance at the peanuts and this story came to mind. Yes, it’s another “anatomy” tale. Guess I’m on a roll here, but you’ll have to take your complaints to the BIG GUY if you’re tired of my tell-all stories, because I hadn’t thought of this one in years. At least not until God gave me something to smile about during my midnight cupboard duty.
When Lizzy was two-and-a-half years old she announced one morning that she was going to wear big girl panties. Not a lover of early potty-training, I tried to disuade my daughter’s ambition, but she insisted. Finally, I agreed and began the process of leaving the diaper pail behind (momentarily). Eager to experience bathroom excitement, Lizzy began to dutifully escort her brother to the toilet. By the end of the day, Lizzy had noticed that she and four-year-old Luke didn’t have matching anatomy. Tearfully, she stormed out of the bathroom and raced into the kitchen. “Mommy,” she cried in full-female drama, “I lost my peanut!”
I stared at my red-eyed little girl and tried to guess what had upset her. “Your peanut?” I asked, totally in the dark, “Where did you have it last?”
“I don’t know,” Lizzy wailed. “It’s just gone.” I started storming the cupboards looking for a jar of peanuts or trail mix or a granola bar- anything that would quiet my tramautized toddler.
Finally, four-year-old Luke emerged from the bathroom and shed light on Lizzy’s distress. Fighting the temptation to succomb to hysterical laughter, I squatted to look my little girl one in the eye. “Lizzy,” I explained compassionately, “You never had a peanut. God just gives those to boys. He made you beautiful just as you are.”
The wails halted and my tiny drama queen thrust her hands on her hips in an obvious gesture of annoyance. “Well,” she huffed. “That’s not fair! I’m going to ask God to give me a peanut like Luke’s.”
“But, honey,” I countered, “God doesn’t give peanuts to girls. . . ”
Lizzy looked at me with disgust, then replied. “Mom, God can do ANYTHING!”
Today my nearly-ten-year-old daughter has changed her mind about wanting to be exactly like her brother! But she hasn’t changed her belief that God can do ANYTHING. Lizzy still prays big, dreams big, and believes big. I have a feeling that my daughter’s childlike faith is something her Heavenly Father counts as special, indeed. Perhaps that’s just what He wanted me to remember as He broke my midnight monotony with an uncontainable round of laughter. Today’s Treasure: “. . . but joy comes with the morning.” Luke 6:17
