Josh Knipple | Eyes of a child

Our family of six is always a clown show at Walmart. Trying to get in and out with four kids in under an hour is a victory in itself.

Maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but someone always seems to ask, “Are they twins?” Looking at my two girls who are literally identical, I want to be sarcastic and reply, “Nope, one is my wife’s, and one is mine.”

Anyway, the boys have some money burning a hole in their pocket. It is only a few dollars, but to them it is treasure. So as we are going in, I ask them the simple question, “What do you guys want to get today?”

Silas bluntly says, “I don’t know Dad, I haven’t seen what they have yet.”

Eli, on the other hand, is pretty clear he wants a LEGO set. After what seemed like an hour of walking up and down the aisles, looking at all their options, checking all the prices, they finally picked something.

I can’t even begin to describe to you all the times I heard, “Do I have enough for this? How about that?” With the insane cost of toys anymore most of the time the answer was, “No, but if you really want it, we can save your money and maybe get it next time.” No matter how many times I would say, “You don’t have enough,” Silas kept making his way back to the “Transformers” and Eli to a “Star Wars” LEGO set.

“Are you sure we don’t have enough Dad?” as they fumble through their wallets counting out all their dollar bills.

“I’m sorry guys, but not today. You don’t have enough yet, but like I said, ‘We can save some more and then come back.’ ”

That thought would last in their minds for about five seconds, and then it was picking something else that they could afford. Not really what they wanted, but what they had the money for.

As we walked toward the checkout, I could see in their eyes the disappointment that they weren’t really getting what they wanted, so I asked again, “Are you sure that is what you want to get? Honestly guys, it is probably going to break the first time you drop it.”

Leaving the store that day, I honestly felt bad and kept thinking in my mind, “I wish I could convey to them what it looks like to wait and to save.”

Yes, we are working with them on saving, but like my wife always says to me, “You are trying to rationalize with a 6-year-old.”

While driving home, I remembered recently reading about a parent placing two bowls in front of their kids – one with a single doughnut and the second with two. The idea was that for the child to get the bowl with two doughnuts they would have to wait five minutes.

Knowing my kids, Eli would probably be willing to wait, Silas might think about it, but within the first minute go for the instant doughnut.

For the twins, not a chance, patience doesn’t exist for them yet. They are still in the instant gratification stage of life.

You may wonder where I am going with all of this, but how often is God asking the same thing of us? Telling us to wait on Him, but we want things in the moment. How many times do we fall into sin because we want the here and now? How many are trading their eternal souls and their hope for eternity based on what the world is dangling in front of them?

Think about your life for a few moments. Are you the type for whom the word patience doesn’t exist?

We live in a world where we want things now, fast food, next-day delivery, things on demand at the snap of our fingers.

Jesus is pretty clear when he makes this statement, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:31-33

What if some of the reality that Jesus is teaching is to wait?

Instead of buying the cheap toy that you really don’t want, store up, wait to get what God has in store for you. Instead of trading your soul for what this cheap world offers you, wait upon the Lord for what is truly worth it. Eternity with Him.

In the big picture, eternal picture, our lives are a vapor – here today, gone tomorrow. Isn’t it worth it to trust His ways over the here and now doughnut?

Again, this message is coming from a convicted heart myself.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”