Anything For Me?

Anything for Me?

On an early-morning weekend stop at the doughnut shop, I watched a tiny drama unfold. The line was populated by several dads with kids in tow. As I shuffled toward the counter along with them, one little guy broke away from his dad and made a beeline for a row of gum-ball machines placed low to the ground to better appeal to their target market. While the dad bought doughnuts, his son crawled along the row of bright-red machines, lifting the metal flap on each one to see if he might find a stray coin or gum ball.

He came up empty, but he searched each one, getting low to the ground and peering up for possible pay dirt.

I admired his hopefulness and tenacity. It was as if he was asking, as he scooted along the dirty floor, “Anything for me?” He was about to have a mouthwatering hot doughnut—but he sensed there might be more. And if there was, he was going to find it.

I am rich. I have a heavenly Father who loves me beyond measure, good work to do, a loving family, and a circle of friends who surround me with care. I have a home I love, a church I adore, and a reasonable amount of health with which to enjoy and serve my God and others. But might there be more?

Don’t get me wrong. The blessings that are mine I treasure. I do not count them as insignificant. But they don’t negate the desire to be surprised by something more—even if it’s small. The little boy in the doughnut shop must have once found a stray gum ball or a quarter behind one of those flaps . . . and he never forgot it.

My God keeps on surprising me, too, with small gifts too well timed and undeserved to be anything but providential. My task is to be in a posture to receive them. To stay low, humble, and expectant. To be unashamed to hope for his blessing.

I loved that little guy on the floor. I was rooting for him. He didn’t find a gum ball. Not that Saturday. But that doesn’t mean he won’t look again. And so should I.

Everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever!

Romans 11:36