Question Quota

Bird is a little question man. He’s very curious and likes to know what’s going on at all times. He incessantly asks questions, like:

Whas tat called?

Whas he doing?

Where did he go?

Whatchu doing that for?

Sometimes his questions stump me. For example, the other day we were talking about God making the ocean. Bird said, “Tank you, God for the ocean!” He then turned to me and asked, “Momma, where did God go?” Now that's a deep thought for a 2-year old! How do you answer that one?

One day, after enduring an especially long stint of verbal abuse in the form of Bird's incessant questioning, I told Bird that I was imposing a question quota for each day.

"You now have a question quota, and today you've reached your limit," I explained.

His response: “Momma, whas question quota?”

Go figure.

Honestly there are many days when I tire of hearing my name called out and wish I could enforce the “question quota” limit or hit MUTE on Bird’s volume button, but I sure am glad God doesn’t do that to me. In fact, Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should call out to God in persistence, never giving up.

 

Luke 18:1-8

1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. 2 "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, 5 'but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" 6 Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?"

The Bible says the widow approached the judge repeatedly and finally wore him out! The judge even said, “This woman is driving me crazy!”  Boy does THAT sound familiar! Even though the judge viewed this woman as a pest, Jesus hailed her persistence as heroic. It makes me think that maybe on those days when my patience is wearing thin and Bird’s questions are spewing forth at machine-gun speed, I should turn to God and beg him for grace and compassion. Beg him persistently. He promises to hear and answer me! And maybe I should even start begging before my day (and Bird’s questions) begins! It never hurts to get a head start.