Raod trip

We had a football game in Augusta last weekend. Brad was out of town, Kenzie was away at a cross-country meet so Halle and I were left to attend and cheer the Knights on, specifically #22. The day before the game I got a text from Brandt asking if a friend of his could ride to the game with me and stay the night with us in the hotel. I asked him if this boy really wanted to ride 3 hours in a car with people he doesn't know? Awkward. No reply from Brandt. When I get home Brandt, taking my question as a "no" instead of just a question, has prepared for me all the reasons why I should let this kid ride. As he is going through this convincing speech about how great this boy is and how much I will like him and what his background is ,etc.. I thought if Brandt only understood that I don't have to know this boy because I know the one asking me. That is all I needed to bring Nate along. I know the boy asking and I love him. It is irrelevant who Nate is and what his personality is like.
We try so often to convince God to answer our prayers with all these reasons we feel are valid. And we forget we are the beloved children. He doesn't answer us because we have convinced Him or because we deserve it- He answers out of love for us. He just loves us. He doesn't do what we want anymore than I always give Brandt what he wants. The point here is the heart from which He responds. Out of an overflow of love and affection for an imperfect child- but the imperfection is not what He notices- He sees that it is His child asking- the child He knows and loves. If we really understood how He longs to have relationship with us we would run to Him and not away from Him. We would long to know Him more- to be with Him more. We would rest in knowing He is for us and He is good and He is not in a bad mood all the time, irritated with our failure. He is a good dad, the best there ever has been.