My boy loves fish – eating it or catching it. Life has been hectic around our house, lately we’d be out doing errands & either coming or going (or sometimes both) – every time we’d pass a certain spot on the road – he would ask to stop. I kept saying “no” & then thinking “why – why, would I stop on the side of the road, why does he want to stop? It’s cold.” I couldn’t figure it out. Finally one day he just quietly said “I’d really like to see the fish” – we’d passed that particular spot and my mind was already somewhere else & I asked what he was talking about, what did he mean “see the fish”? He couldn’t believe I wouldn’t know?! He then clued me in that the reason he wanted to stop at the creek was because the Reds were there & he really wanted to see them. “Oh” was all I could think… Duh, it’s water, I should have thought of fish. However, I had no idea there were even Salmon in there, let alone that the Reds would be there. Even if I had given it a thought, I would have thought the Reds would have already come & gone with the end of summer/fall. How does my boy know when they’re going to be there? Amazing…I remember when grandma & grandpa would come visit (I always thought it was Aug/Sept), they’d love to drive along the Old Glenn, & pull over to see the Reds swimming in the ditch. So I decided I would make a point to stop so he could see them, but of course wanted to have my camera…so we decided Sat morning after I took him to his puppet class we’d go there. I prayed the fish would still be there….

Thank you Lord, the fish were still there and it was a gorgeous morning – cold, but not raining or blowing. I felt as if I’d handed him the moon. He was so excited & just grinned the whole time. When we got there I told him we’d stay as long as he wanted. We were only there 20-30 min (I spent some of that time sitting in the van waiting) but he didn’t care, his love tank was filled. He was giddy — he could hardly contain himself, wiggly, thankful, exuberant, & so talkative — just because I took him to see fish that were half rotted & still swimming! Go figure, it does not compute in this brain. I’m so thankful for the children God gave me & their individuality. It makes me wonder if that is what God thinks about some of our desires. We think something is so great, but does He think “it’s a rotting fish still swimming”?

I know He wants to give me the desires of my heart – I’m His child & it gives Him pleasure. A special friend gave a wonderful word picture tonight of ways we can give God worship. I want to give Him worship, as a gift because I want to, not because it is required of me. When we give because something is a requirement, that is not giving from the heart & there is little or no satisfaction in that kind of giving. When we give from our heart, it fills us with an unexplainable & indescribable joy. Only our God – our Awesome, Amazing God would make it so the giver receives as much or more joy than the receiver. Even when we are the one giving to Him. We were created for His joy, His pleasure, His glory – but we benefit in so many ways. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for caring about my heart, my desires – me.