I was a skinny, bubbly tween with a Nokia phone and a slightly unhealthy obsession with Barbie dolls, starting at a new school after moving from Belize City.  A new school meant new,  brighter beginnings. Or so I thought. To my dismay, the school walls were covered in graffiti, the break times were far too short, and it seemed like the only thing we did in math class was write numbers. My classmates and I were desperate for ways to entertain ourselves. Soon we were bringing the equivalent of an entire toy store to class every day. I brought my Barbies and their wardrobes of dresses I had made myself, certain mine would be the best toys.

Imagine my surprise when the Standard 2 “it girl” walked in with a Leapfrog tablet! The entire class gathered around to gawk at all the amazing features. It could play music, take pictures and videos, and it had cool games. I knew exactly what I wanted that Christmas! I couldn’t wait to get home to tell my dad about the amazing Leapfrog tablet that had my whole class starstruck.

Dad, the IT expert that he is, did his research. I sat gripping the edge of my seat as he evaluated the capabilities, price, and shipping cost. After what seemed like years, he said, “Tirzah, I don’t think I’m going to get you that Leapfrog tablet.” I ran to my room and started bawling my eyes out. The way I was acting, you would think someone had just set fire to my Barbies.

I grieved for a good ten minutes before Dad called for me to come out of my room. He looked at my face and started laughing, but he quickly said, “Tirzah, you didn’t let me finish. I was saying that I don’t think I’m going to get you the Leapfrog tablet because its features are quite limited. I found a Kindle Fire that has many more features, including a digital library and access to the internet.” I was so embarrassed. If I had just listened, I would have heard that not only was I getting a tablet but it was ten times better than the one my classmate had.

But there’s a bigger lesson in this story. Even now as I enter adulthood, I find myself questioning God: “Why am I not able to have the things and opportunities others seem to get?”

It’s easy to look at the way other Christians receive blessings and wonder when our blessings are going to come.  We think we know what’s best, and when we don’t get what we ask for we feel like God has abandoned us. But this is not the case. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God’s plan is a lot better than ours. He is the expert. And whatever He has planned for us is not only better than anything we can imagine but also carefully crafted to suit our specific needs.

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