Paper Cuts

My oldest son J. started sucking his thumb when he was 3 months old.  Can I tell how sweet it is to see a little baby chomping on their tiny thumb?  Honestly R. And I were both thumb suckers as kids so it was really no surprise to us to end up with a thumb loving child.  As the years passed and the thumb sucking did not, we began to think of ways to help him quit the habit.  We tried band aids but he would just pull them off when he wanted a suck.  We tried hot sauce.  We tried rewards.  We tried threats.  We read him a book called "Jake's Best Thumb" about a boy who finally realizes he doesn't need his thumb.  Nothing worked.

 Recently J. turned six and began to want to stop sucking his thumb a little bit.  But as with any habit or addiction, it's not that easy. He was just so used to doing it that he couldn't will himself to stop.  We encouraged him to pray and ask God to help him. And he did.  Every night at bed time he always said, "...and Jesus make me not suck my thumb."  The thumb sucking still did not wane.  He became frustrated.  "I pray and ask God to make me stop, but He doesn't.".  We explained to him that God would not make him stop, but he could ask God to help him and then he needed to do his part and make an effort.  It sort of seemed to go in one ear and out the other and the thumb sucking continued.

 Then a few days ago an interesting thing happened.  J was reading a book and somehow managed to get a deep paper cut on the sucking thumb.  He begged for a bandaid and I obliged.  The evening went on and the kids got ready for bed.  After I left them in their room, I was sitting out on the couch.  Suddenly J. called out from his bed.  "Hey Mommy!  I have a bandaid on my thumb and now I can't suck it!". He seemed very happy about this.  The next morning he proudly came out of his room.  "I didn't suck my thumb at all!" he said with his face glowing.  Later as we drove to school I told him, "You see J., you prayed that God would help you stop sucking your thumb and He gave you a paper cut.  At first you were upset about the paper cut but now you can see how God used it to help you stop sucking your thumb!  Sometimes God answers us but it's not how we expect He will". J. Smiled at me.  "Yup!  That's right Mommy!"

 I can't help but see how this story can apply to us all.  How many times in life do we pray and ask God to intervene in a situation, but have a clear idea in our own mind of HOW He should answer us?  Then when He gives us our own paper cut we don't see it as an answer to that prayer.  We might grumble or think God has still failed to work in our situation.  Only later with some time and perspective are we able to see how God was using the paper cut to answer our prayer.  My prayer today for myself and for all of us is that we would recognize God in the paper cut and thank Him for it!

 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.' (Jeremiah 33:3 MSG)