A Bigger Wagon

Yesterday Lindsey and I took our Bible study girls on a little trip around a nearby neighborhood to collect canned goods and other nonperishable food items for a local food pantry. We thought it would be a good experience for them and hoped that some of the people we encountered would be generous enough to donate to such a worthy cause.

As we stopped at the very first house, one of the girls pulled our little Radio Flyer wagon to a halt and Lindsey, being the oldest, took the first turn at approaching the door. After ringing the bell a few times, we assumed that no one was home. We were about to leave when someone suggested that we try knocking one more time. At this, a man appeared at the door.

He was very friendly and smiled as Lindsey explained what we were doing. "I'll be right back," he said and left to grab his donation.

We were all pleasantly surprised when the stranger returned with his arms full of food. He chuckled as he loaded our wagon with cartons of soup and boxes of cereal. "Your wagon's not going to be big enough- you need to have more faith girls!"

He turned out to be right. Not a single person turned us down when we asked them for donations, and we literally had no room left in our wagon when we returned to the car that afternoon. We didn't even visit all of the houses in the neighborhood!

As we drove away, I began to think about the first man's words. Lately I've been expecting the worst, and often that's what I get. I ask God to pour out blessings that I cannot contain, yet I subconciously hold out a little tupperware and say, "But, if You want, You can just put them in here."

What have you been expecting from this life lately? Because, if you're like me, you've probably expected some things that don't reflect our Father's personality- dissappointment, discouragement, weariness, pain- the list is neverending. If you're planning on failure and mediocrity, it's probably what you're going to get.

But, oh, the joy of receiving all that He has for us! Don't try to fit Him in your little wagon- I can assure you that it's not big enough. 

"And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!" Isaiah 30:18 (Amplified)