Request Answered

Here's a wonderful poem by Hindi poet, Ravindra Kumar Karnani:

The child whispered, "God, speak to me."
And a meadowlark sang
But the child did not hear.
So the child yelled, "God, speak to me."
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.
The child looked around and said,
"God, let me see You." and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.
And the child shouted,
"God show me a miracle!"
And a life was born but the child did not know.
So the child cried out in despair,
"Touch me, God, and let me know You are here?"
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child.
But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly.

How many times in life have we made requests of God ~ do this, show me that, give me something ~ expecting the answer wrapped in the ribbon of our choosing, never noticing the wonder of the wrapping God chose? Like the 'child' in this poem, we can't see beyond our own expectations. Time, reflection, practice teach us to look closer, to recognize that our request has been answered in the best of all possible ways.