Straining to learn

     Any kind of growth can be tiring, discouraging, and daunting. Spiritual growth is included. There are some scriptures that allude to faith as a "gift" from God. I may be one who was given that gift. I can't really remember a time when I didn't believe in the existence of God. It has taken my whole life to try to understand exactly who He is and what He expects of me, but I continue to work at it. I like a quote from Saint Augustine, "Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe." I have heard others say similar things like, "Faith precedes the miracle."
Probably one of the hardest things about spiritual growth is gaining the understanding that NOT receiving what you want can be a greater indication of God's love than getting what you anxiously pray for, at times. I have formulated a saying of my own- "Love is NOT a cookie." It has struck me as I watch doting parents give kids all kinds of junk food because they beg for it. There is more concern for obesity among children these days than among adults- for the first time in history! The constant diet of pizza, chips, soda, and candy is NOT a way to show love. In fact, it's almost the opposite. Giving the kids stuff they want that causes problems for them that will take a lifetime to overcome is more a surrender to the parents' desperation to have the child love them than a sincere offering of love from the parent to the child. Most of us haven't figured that out yet. But that is the kind of wisdom God possesses. He really knows what would be best for each of us and sometimes that means suffering- as least that's the way we look at it. We need to learn patience so we can be patient with others and avoid being spoiled, miserable, demanding children. So He waits a bit before giving us what we so earnestly beg for. Sometimes He even has something better in mind for us so He doesn't give us what we want when we want it then later gives us something really wonderful. If He gives us everything we want when we want it, we become like the whining, obese child with a room full of toys. That might seem like the way to "buy" our affection but in the long run, it destroys our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. We need to understand self-control, self-denial, and how to avoid focusing on the treasures of the earth where "moth and rust" corrupt. Most of the things we want are fleeting, temporary wants rather than needs. The bumper sticker "He who dies with the most toys wins" is only a little bit funny because too many people really believe it's true rather than a joke. So, next time your child begs for the latest video game or electronic device, or next time you beg God for something to "consume it upon your lust", say to yourself, "Love is NOT a cookie."