Mama, I won!!!!

"Mama, I won!" Maddie leaned close to my face and exclaimed.

I smiled and nodded. You see, it was Wednesday evening during our children's Bible class. "Brother Seth", aka "Daddy", was leading a game of "Solomon Says" (just like Simon Says, if you don't know). He had explained that the first person "out" would received one piece of candy, the second 2 pieces, etc until the last person still "in" could potentially walk away with a massive amount of cavity causing sugar.

And my enthusiastic little Maddie was THRILLED to be the first one to receive a single piece of candy. She strutted up to the front of the class, sure that she was the envy of every other child. But of course, every other child, all older than Maddie, knew that the best prize was yet to come. And the best is worth waiting for.

He he he. Don't you love preschoolers?

But I do hope that as she matures, she will learn not to sacrifice the permanent on the alter of the immediate. And naturally, she did not even consciously do that in this instance. She just isn't very good at playing Solomon Says yet!

In my mind though, I think of Esau selling his birthright (a real treasure) for a bowl of soup (something so temporal even though it tasted good for a minute or two). I am reading a book entitled, Bringing Up Girls written by James Dobson. Most of the book is positive and encouraging but the section I just completed deals with our "free love", or a more modern day term would be "hooking up", society and the horrific emotional and physical damage to young girls in particular. I could share heart breaking statistics with you and relay some of the very sad stories he included in the book, but I think I will simply say, directly to my younger readers:

The best is worth waiting for.

Don't be as foolish as Esau, or my cute little 3 yr. old, and trade in something of real value and worth for a cheap knock off. Don't believe the lie the Devil has spread over this world.

You'll never regret walking down the aisle a pure bride. You won't be missing out on anything. Those who "cash in early", as Maddie did with her candy, don't even realize what they forfeited. Only those who wait really know the best.

Love,