by miss iris
Even before her birthday in August, my sister really wanted an mp3 player. Her preference was an iPod - the Touch - so I told her to save up the money she will get for her birthday and we'd go get one for her. I found out that instead of buying an iPod, she bought a different touchscreen player because she just could not wait. A few weeks later, the player broke. I asked her what she plans on doing and she wasn't sure, so I told her again, save her money and we'll get an iPod Touch.
Last Sunday she came to me after church asking me to take her to the store to buy an iPod Mini, I told her no, that all she needed was a few more dollars to buy the Touch. I also reminded her of the last mp3 player that she bought out of impatience and how disappointed she was in it. She was upset, but I was firm and seeing as she's only 14 and cannot drive herself (and that my parents agreed) she was forced to practice patience.
About two days later she IMed me while I was at work and was super joyful that all she needed was four more dollars and she would get the iPod Touch. I told her that was great news and that we would get it soon. Two days later, she texted me saying she bought the 8-gig Touch. I asked her why she didn't wait for me to take her and she said she really wanted it! Impatient child. Had she waited she would have been privy to the little secret that I was keeping from her. I wanted to take her to the store to get it because I was planning to get her the bigger, 16-gig iPod Touch. I would have put in the difference towards getting the bigger one as well as a cool case to hold it. That was going to be her Christmas present from me.
I understand that she's very happy that she waited to get the 8-gig Touch, but what joy would it have brought her if she were just a little more patient and waited on me like I requested? She would have had something bigger and better with extra pieces! It struck me how very similar this situation is with God and us at times. There are times when we are so impatient that we go ahead and pick up the cheap imitation and then when things go wrong we come crying to God asking him why and once more he says, wait. Then we wait and we get more and more impatient and we pick up something that might be good - or we think it's good at the time - without talking to God first and don't see that he was just waiting to surprise us with something so much better. Ah, if only we were a bit more patient, if only we consulted with God before we took action.
Well, my sister learned her lesson. I wonder if I will ever learn mine.
Comments (29)
I love how ambiguous these God blogs are.
Wow, great analogy!! Definitely worthy of a rec!
@xNicolax@xanga - hahahaha
Patience is a virtue. Plus when you are younger, time moves a lot slower because we have lot's of energy and as we become older things speed up even though we might not be able to keep up.
"I asked her why she didn't wait for me to take her and she said she
really wanted it! Impatient child. Had she waited she would have been
privy to the little secret that I was keeping from her."
Ummm....she could still return it and your plan could come to fruition. Also I'm kind of confused how she should be the sole recipient of blame. It might have lessened the likelihood of this event happening if you had just told her ahead of time. It was a mix-up due to lack of communication. This lack of communication might have been deemed acceptable in this situation because a feeling of surprise in the other was wanted, but in this instance it backfired. Either see if she wants to return it or start thinking of another present idea.
"Well, my sister learned her lesson. I wonder if I will ever learn mine."
The problem I have with this comparison you gave between God and humans and then you and your sister, is you paint a picture of your sister being at fault, which (based on the information you provided us), seems like a pretty big stretch. It does not seem to me like it is her fault you risked not communicating everything with her because you wanted to suprise her and then having that idea backfire on you.
Awww super cute story! I can totally relate. I have no patience. =\
@whataboutbahb@xanga - I completely agree with you. I think that it's a poor analogy that she uses simply to make her sister look like the bad guy, and make herself look good.
So your sister's selfish for not doing what you wanted...
...hm.
And yes, the analogy is very weak.
@CyanideNGunpowder@xanga - lol
@xNicolax@xanga - yes... ambiguous... -.-"
@whataboutbahb@xanga - I appreciate your defense of my sis, if you thought I was making her out to be the "bad person" you are incorrect. Ta!
@missiris -
I wasn't trying to convey that I thought that you viewed your sister as a "bad person" in this instance, I merely was trying to give the opinion that this simply sounds like a mix up between people, where there really does not seem that either party is really at fault. If fault is to be assigned (which based the limited facts I'm working off, I would still think that little fault existed by anyone), I would be inclined to levy it towards the person who limited the information known by the other person which lead to the "mistake" of buying the other I-pod in the first place. In any case I just viewed the story as a poor story to try and involve a parallel with God and humanity, sorry.
"if you thought I was making her out to be the "bad person" you are incorrect."
It does appear that you think your sister made a mistake by buying an Ipod with her own money while you were not present though, right? ("Well, my sister learned her lesson.") Maybe you just left some details out of this post that made it more clear why you thought her actions constituted a mistake on her part (in the instance of her buying the 8 gig-touch)?
I know you well, Miss Iris, so I know what you meant by your post. RECC'ED! And ignore the others!
She's 14, give her a break. I'm impatient too and would have probably done the same thing. But I do get the point of the post and I don't think you are saying your sis is bad or anything but you are kind of calling her out and I wouldn't like it if I was her.
I agree with the others; very poor analogy.
She's pretty material-oriented for a church girl.
I know an atheist who doesn't want much in terms of material, studies hard, makes some money and basically sticks to playing his video games. He doesn't have an mp3 player, but he bought himself a cool cell phone for his birthday last year. But he doesn't have texting, and that's the last big tech thing he purchased and it's almost his birthday again.
Isn't it ironic that atheist is being patient while you, who believes in God, confess the following:
"There are times when we are so impatient that we go ahead and pick up the cheap imitation and then when things go wrong we come crying to God asking him why and once more he says, wait."
Who's more mature?
wow this is a great post! it's true what you said, that sometimes we really do just need to wait for God, after all, He's only thinking about our best interests.
@all2mydawgs@xanga - hey there, I wasn't sure if you were trying to be sarcastic but we're all like the writer's sister, including the writer herself, as she admits at the end- a lil impatient and hasty. It is ironic b/c as God's children we know He can give us the best but we usually don't wait on Him- you're right about that.
I think this analogy is fitting and sweet because I feel like God is always giving me cues small cues and answers like that -"now isn't the time or wait" but I really struggle to just sit still and wait. This is a good reminder.
great parable!...and I've got the 16g, and it's awesome :)
Your post is very timely for me. I've been trying for over a year now
to find a full-time job, teaching preferably, but all I've managed to
get was a part-time job at the largest branch of the public library
here. Every time I think I have a chance of getting a full time job
teaching or in the library it is ripped away from me.
I've had a Christian Academy tell me they were interested in maybe
bringing me on as a Librarian, even though I have no library degree. I hear from them every 2-3 months it seems.
I've been trying to understand what I'm suppose to learn from all this
patience and your post puts my current situation in a new perspective.
I want to rush into a full-time position because of the security it
will grant me but perhaps what I really need to do is practice some
patience and be satisfied with waiting; a lesson I could use in several
areas.
Thank you for your post.
I think you used a good analogy!
Great analogy. I wonder when I'll learn as well. :P
I like how everyone badgers on your post, and how you made you sister out to be a bad person, and completely ignore the message you intended to send when this was published on here.
"There are times when we are so impatient that we go ahead and pick up
the cheap imitation and then when things go wrong we come crying to God
asking him why and once more he says, wait. Then we wait and we get
more and more impatient and we pick up something that might be good -
or we think it's good at the time - without talking to God first and
don't see that he was just waiting to surprise us with something so
much better. Ah, if only we were a bit more patient, if only we
consulted with God before we took action."
I wish people would comment on the actual lesson.
@whataboutbahb@xanga - thank you for your explanation, you are correct in saying that I did not put a lot of info up there ... that was not really the point of the post and if I had given a history it would be rather boring! ;)
The point wasn't in the history of the story, or what could be done to rectify it .. the point was that sometimes we don't always know what God has in store for us and sometimes we can become impatient in waiting ...
good post.