I asked God to take away my pride, but God said “No.” He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give it up.
I asked God to make mv disabled child whole, and God said “No.” He said her spirit is whole, and her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience, and God said, “No.” He said pa tience is a by-product of tribulation. It isn’t granted, it’s earned.
I asked God give me happiness, and God said, “No.” He said He gives blessings, but happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain, and God said “No” He said suffering draws me away from worldly cares and brings me closer to Him.
I asked God to make my spirit grow, and God said, “No.” He said I must grow on my own, but He would prune me to heIp me be more fruitful.
I asked God if He loved me, and God said, “Yes, I gave my Son for you. He died on a cross for you”
Then I asked God to help me love others as much as He loved me, and God said, “Ah, finally, you have the idea.”
–edited by Joyce Broyles from an anonymous poem