This afternoon I watched a little girl get a stream of dollars from her dad as she was trying to snag a pretty stuffed bear from a machine with one of those descending hooks. After at least ten dollars she victoriously captured her bear most likely valued at a dollar or so. In response to her continued pleas for another dollar her dad kept saying, “Okay, one more.” He was joyed when she succeeded. So was I and I didn’t even know them.
My computer does not like the word “joyed.” It thinks it is not a word. However, it likes “overjoyed.” But not “underjoyed.” If we can have one form, why can we not have all three? I want to say heaven is joyed when we succeed at small victories in life. Overjoyed is saved for the big ones. If we are overjoyed all the time the relativity of it vanishes.
I was intrigued by the relationship between the little girl and her father. There was no hesitation on her part to keep asking and there was no hesitation on his part to keep supplying her with dollars. Sometimes when I fail I am hesitant to ask God for another chance. I need to remember this little girl. Jesus said, “If we as humans know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does our heavenly Father know how to supply us with good things.” Matthew 7:11. God is so pleased when we succeed. He is not nearly as disheartened by our failures as He is by our giving up.
During the 1988 Olympics in Seoul Derek Redmond fell to the ground with a torn hamstring. Without hesitation his father rushed down from the stands and helped him across the finish line.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 15, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org