Patience
The big movie in 2007 was Transformers, a live action sci-fi film based on the popular 1984 cartoon series of the same name. As every parent can testify, along with a big box office hit comes all the merchandise to go with it. This movie was no exception. Everything from bedsheets to birthday cakes was Transformers. It goes without saying that the bulk of movie merchandising came in the form of …. you guessed it ….
Toys.
I mean come on, how can any red-blooded adolescent boy NOT want a toy car that turns into a awesome robot!
I wanted one too!
My eight (8) year old son, Brandon, was no exception. He wanted a Bumblebee toy. Bumblebee was a hero character in the movie that was a racy yellow Camero AND a magnificent robot. Shopping online, I found three versions of the toy: Toddler, Basic, and Ultimate. Of course, Brandon picks the ultimate version. It has all the gadgets and details that make it … Ultimate. But he doesn’t want to order it online and wait for shipping. He wants it now.
“No problem,” I say. Brandon even offers to pay for it using a Visa gift card he received as a birthday gift. “Even better, a teaching event,” I think to myself. So we are off to Walmart, where you can buy milk, a pair of dockers, gun ammo, and get your oil changed – all at one place! Inside we find the toy section dedicated to the Transformer toys and …
No Bumblebee toy!
PANIC !!
The isle is a toy ghost town of empty hooks and blank shelves. There were a few Transformer toys there, but very few and definitely NOT the ultimate Bumblebee toy. Brandon’s panic turns to desperation as he digs through boxes and clear plastic packaging looking for … what? Anything.
I quickly surmised that Brandon’s money is burning a hole in his pocket. He was looking for ANYTHING to buy. Even though he had set his sights on getting this specific toy; even though this specific toy was all we talked about on the drive to the store, he had given up on getting his ultimate toy and was desperately seeking a quick alternate. He brought me a pair of Transformer walkie-talkies.
“Dad, I’ll take these.” he says.
I shook my head and he dug deeper into the boxes of left-over toys. He came back with a box of Transformer Lite-Brite pegs (just the colored pegs without the Lite-Brite itself).
“Dad, what about this.”
I shook my head and he frantically went back to digging. Searching. Wishing he could find something “as good as” what he had set his sights on. But its just not there … at least not where he was looking.
I made the suggestion to go to another store, but this caused a deeper panic. Brandon completely abandoned Transformer toys and started grabbing ANYTHING. He could not leave the store without buying something. Immediate satisfaction.
To see Brandon in this scramble for satisfaction was painful. I knew what would satisfy him and I knew that if we just went to another store we would find what he was looking for. But Brandon’s mind was screaming for satisfaction, drowning out my pleas for patience.
It was a fight, but I eventually got him out of Walmart without buying anything. Crying, he tells me, “I’ll NEVER get a Bumblebee!” Oh, just wait son …
We went to another store. I had a hard time containing my excitement, because I KNEW this store would have what Brandon was looking for. His eyes were so full of tears that he could not even read store sign …
Toys-R-Us.
That’s right! The ultimate toy store would definitely have the ultimate toy. As we walked in, I could see his face begin to brighten. A huge sign signaled the way to an entire section of Transformers. Like a lion chasing prey, Brandon bolted out ahead of me and cried out, “Dad, LOOK!”
An entire wall of ultimate Bumblebee toys!
“Take your pick, son.”
As we travel the road GOD has placed in front of us, we sometimes impatiently chose to compromise for temporary joys or we search empty wells for satisfaction. Its painful for GOD to watch. HE knows the things that give you true joy, lasting joy. HE knows what will satisfy you and HE knows where to find it.
Have patience and let HIM take you there. You’ll hear …
Take you pick, child.
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