We discovered recently that my son is anemic. He had a severe episode back in the Spring that lasted a couple of weeks when all he wanted to do was sleep. He would stay awake for two or three hours, then he'd fall back asleep. He had no energy whatsoever and really startled us when he began to lose weight. We were convinced that he had mononucleosis, but after all the tests and blood work came back we were told that he had a bad case of strep throat and that he was anemic. Not wanting to be reliant on those nasty iron supplements that can mess with your digestive system, we were told that the next best thing would be for him to eat red meat. And lots of it. So when he would start feeling tired or lethargic, we would reach for a burger.
We're learning now to keep red meat in his diet regularly in the hopes of preventing another bad episode. Since school has started back and he's getting less sleep, more often than not we'll hit a fast food joint on the way home in the afternoons so he can have a "snack" of red meat. Most days 2 hamburgers and an order of fries are his "snack!" Sometimes we even add a chocolate shake. And yes, he'll eat supper, too...and probably a bowl of cereal before bedtime. He's a growing boy - upward, not outward - so as long as he can eat like that and maintain his teeny waistline, I say have at it.
Yesterday we had stopped by one of our favorite burger joints and we went inside to place our order. We were getting 3 sandwiches (2 burgers for him, a chicken for me), a small fry, a drink and a shake. We were the only ones at the counter, there were two girls working behind the counter, and no one else was around. Our order was placed and we waited while the young girl made the milkshake. The same girl then disappeared into the kitchen. After waiting a few minutes, she came back to tell us that the chicken had to be cooked. Okay, that was fine. Being a burger joint, I didn't expect them to have chicken cooked all the time. Besides, I'd rather have it hot anyway.
We waited the five more minutes it took to cook the chicken, and then as they were bagging our sandwiches, they realized something. They hadn't cooked any fries. That's right, no fries. We had to wait. Again. Another four minutes for the fries to cook. And yes we were still the only ones at the counter. No other customers had come in and only one had come through the drive-thru while we were there. It wasn't like they were swamped. The kitchen wasn't in the weeds. They had just simply made a mistake.
They both apologized several times and when the order was finally complete and we were handed the bag across the counter, we were told that they had given us two free apple pies for our wait. (And let me just say because I know some of you are thinking it - no, we were not at McDonald's!) We told them that was very nice of them, thanked them and walked out to the car. Once inside the car, my son opened the bag and realized that not only had they given us the two free pies, they had also upgraded our small french fry to a large. And everything was hot, just the way we wanted.
We didn't like having to wait nearly 15 minutes for our "fast food," but the reward we received for doing so was sweet! It was beyond our expectations. God offers us the same deal, doesn't He? Doesn't He promise if we wait on Him that our reward will exceed our expectations? Over and over in the Bible we are told to wait on the Lord, to put our hope and trust in Him. There are several passages in Psalms alone instructing us to wait. Here are just a few:
Psalm 38:15: " LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God."
Psalm 40:1 "...I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry."
Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope."
And over and over we are reminded that our faith will be rewarded:
I Samuel 26:23 "The LORD rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness..."
Matthew 5:12 " ...Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven."
John 14: 1-3 " 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Talk about worth the wait! What a wondrous reward we are promised for waiting on God. What an awesome display of His love for us. While my son and I were just hoping for sandwiches and fries, we were rewarded with much more for our patience. Just as God promises that if we wait on Him, He will reward us with far more than what we hope for.
And to think, I was happy with 2 apple pies and a large fry!!
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