Three Wishes Were Granted to Me

More times than I know, I have wished for things I know I am unable to have. Things like the ability to replace all my old furniture with new, to help our children, even more, financially, to afford a vacation to all the spots I’d like to see in this world and do it first class. Things like helping other family and friends financially, and any of the many things that an unlimited amount of money could provide. Or having a beautiful new car. We all dream.

Then yesterday, out of nowhere, three wishes were granted to me, and since that time, the thought of what to wish for has constantly occupied my mind! I am so grateful, however, that I didn’t have to voice my wishes at that exact moment. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.”( Proverbs 21:5) I have no need to be hasty and no desire for poverty. And I have three days to make my decision.

Several hours of the last day have been spent in prayer and searching the Bible for advice about this gift. As I puzzled it out, I began to wonder if this would be a gift, or a curse. I still haven’t decided. In dreaming of these three wishes, I’ve gone through lists of things for which most people would or could wish, myself included. First thoughts turn to wealth, happiness, good health, our children, success, or love. How about asking for world peace, an end of world hunger, or returning our great nation to what it should be? Or how about world revival?

Should we ask for and or receive these things from a wish? God could grant every one of these wishes and so much more before we could complete speaking the wish. Since He hasn’t done them all, it must not be in His plan for us or for the world yet. Dare I make a wish that is at cross-purposes with God? I think not.

There’s a saying, however, that warns us to ‘Be careful what you wish for, lest it comes true.” Many of those winning big money in the lottery end up with broken marriages, delinquent kids, broke and in debt and altogether ruined lives. Wealth, however, has a draw that is hard to resist. As I consider wealth, I consider the security we could provide for our children in providing the best education money could afford; or the trust funds we could set up for them, guaranteeing comfort throughout their lives. I could justify it by saying it’s our responsibility to leave the children well situated when we pass away. To think of the lifestyle we could have today! Anything we wanted, we could have. We could travel to every place in the world we wanted to see and do it first class. Think of the family members we could help or the money we could give to our church. There is much that speaks well for having wealth.