DailySusan Humor Blog

JORDAN’S WISH

And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
— Luke 12:15

Our first-born daughter, Jordan, turns 21 this week. It’s making me very sentimental, thinking back over her childhood and the privilege it has been to live with, learn from, and love this sweet human being. She’s been that way all along, right out of the box.

One incident stands out:

It was Jordan’s 8th birthday party. We had finished our games, had our ‘’hoggogs,’’ and now were ready for the cake with pink frosting, as pink and pretty as the birthday girl herself.

Jordan stood before the candles on her cake, about to make her wish.

Jordan studied the candles.

I studied Jordan.

She was one of those children who never asked for anything. That made you want to give her everything, from the moon on down.

The light from the candles shone in her deep blue eyes as she paused delicately before the cake. Her friends hushed. She seemed to be taking longer than usual, thinking of her wish.

As her mother, brimming with love, I tried to see into her heart:

What did she REALLY want for her birthday? What toy? What goodie? What gizmo?

What was she thinking about? What was she wishing for?

A new bike? Darn! We should have gotten her a bike.

A game she saw on TV? Sports equipment? Some computer program? Something one of her friends has? A fancy outfit? Art stuff? Electronics?

Too late. She shut her eyes, and blew, ‘’WWWWWHHHHH!’’

Her guests went home on sugar highs with chocolate milk moustaches. In the excitement, I forgot to ask whether Jordan got her wish in that colorful pile of presents that day.

Weeks passed.

Then one afternoon, we were at our family’s summer cabin on a northern Minnesota lake. It was one of those ‘’Seven Dwarfs’’ rainy days: you feel sleepy, dopey and grumpy, cooped up, reading books, playing cards and pinging off the walls.

When we were kids, my father used to try to give us hope on days like that by saying, ‘’Aw, it’s just a ‘clearing-up shower.’’’

Well, it had been ‘’clearing up’’ all day.

By then, it was nearly dinnertime. I had had it with kids underfoot. When Mom gets cabin fever, the kids get going. Outside with you! It was finally ‘’clearing up’’ for real out there, anyway.

I packed them off in their yellow raincoats and hats, with orange life preservers. They looked like three rubber ducklings. They waddled down through the mist and patches of sunlight to the lakeshore to skip rocks and hunt frogs and stuff. I went back to my cooking.

After a few minutes, Jordan’s urgent shout hurtled me out of the kitchen:

‘’MOM! MOM! COME QUICK!’’

Oh, no! What was wrong? Had somebody fallen in? Was there a bear?

The three girls were standing in the shallows a few feet out from the big, flat rocks of the shore. Jordan stood, pointing joyously to the east. Pine trees blocked my view. I waded in next to her so I could see what she saw.

It was a huge double rainbow.

Awesome. Glowing. Resplendent. Radiant colors set off by dark purple clouds. Wow!

‘’That’s what I wished for on my birthday,’’ Jordan whispered. ‘’I wished that I could see a rainbow. Look! Here it is. And it’s a DOUBLE!’’

We joined hands and stood and looked, for a good, long time. I was humbled, and properly so.

I had been so wrong about her birthday wish. For crying out loud: what a crass, materialistic attitude I had.

She was so young, but she already knew that ‘’things’’ aren’t what you wish for, when you have a chance to wish big.

Moms should know better.

Luckily for Jordan, though, she has a Father in heaven Who heard her silent wish, when I didn't, and granted it, when I never could have.

He put a piece of His heart in the sky, big and bold, just for her.

And not only that: it was a DOUBLE.

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Prayer request: We lift up to You, Father, another beautiful and talented young woman, Caroline. She has an important job interview coming up. We pray that her personality, achievements and charisma will overcome her lack of experience and win her that job. We thank You for using this and all other job searches as tools in helping bring people closer to depending on and trusting in You. (Proverbs 3:5)