A few weeks ago I was able to visit my daughter in Southern California. In the course of my stay, she showed me a contract one her boys, seven years old, had written between the two of them. It read:

Nathaniel’s Deal

Tamara,

Nathaniel will like to make deal with you- if he go to school he gets large chips and soda.

It was signed,

Nathaniel and Tamara

Some of the things my daughter has to deal with at this home for abused kids is beyond belief. But every once in a while, she comes across a cute situation that makes it worthwhile, like a contract made by a seven year old.

We do the same things with God, but I wonder if they’re ‘cute’ to Him. We get in a bind, go through a tough time, and in hopes of getting out of our ‘tight’ spot, we cut a deal with God. We say things like, “I’ll do this if you will do that” or “I promise I’ll do this, if you don’t do that.”

If God doesn’t come through the way we’ve outlined in our deal, we feel we’re not doing things right, God doesn’t like us, or maybe we even missed the miraculous moment.

God isn’t like that. God is a God of mercy and grace. He does things out of love, for our good and not to frustrate us.

Sometimes, God just wants us to use our brains. That is, after all, why He gave us common sense. Sometimes, decisions are easy enough, if we use that common sense, but we don’t like the options so we seek a better way – or what we think is a better way, according to our desires anyhow.

For the last year, I’ve wanted to attend a writer’s conference that is coming up. For my birthday, I ended up with almost enough, but because my husband has been unemployed for over a year and I am on disability, I believed that the best use for good stewardship was to pay off some of my medical bills. So I did. But first, I cut a deal with God.

I told Him that I’d do the right thing – I wanted to – but if at all possible, could He provide a way to go and if not – that would be okay.

What makes it be okay when you want something so bad but if you don’t get it – it really is okay? Because we have a sovereign God that can do anything. If it’s His will for us to be somewhere at a certain time, He’ll get us there. However, if it’s His will for us to stay put, then we will do as He leads and not try to manipulate the situation to suit our needs wants. And we know that whatever we allow Him to do, it is for our good and it is His best for us, just as He promised in His word.

So, come what may, I am content and at peace for whatever He chooses. Until then, I think I’ll join Nathaniel and have a large chips and a soda.