belly full, diaper dry--but still crying?

I got to babysit my baby nephew last night. He is a little more than seven weeks old, and he enjoys sleeping, eating, and making dirty diapers. He likes his back rubbed, and he thinks that his aunt Jenny heats up one good bottle! He's not that into church history yet and thinks Philip Schaff is pretty boring (we're going to work on that one). He sleeps through prayer, but to be fair, he slept through the ninth inning of a perfect game, too. He's one cute little sinner.

So Jaden (Jaden Austin is the full name) and I were chilling out, watching some baseball. Milk for him, Diet Coke for me. All was well with the world. He finished the bottle and endured the burping like a martyr (his face is the funniest thing to watch when he's getting burped--so resigned!). Slapped a new diaper on, got him some pajamas because the house was chilly, and went back to the living room. He was just the happiest little camper.

Then I sat down.

Every mom and babysitter out there knows exactly how that little face got all puckered, and then a little red, and then the little I'm-just-whining-now-but-if-you-don't-stand-up-and-walk-around-this-is-gonna-become-screaming whine. So I stood up once to test the waters. Silence. Sat down--screaming.

So I said, "Jaden, I love you, but your belly is full, your diaper is dry, and you're not in any pain. Therefore, you're crying because you're not getting what you want. I'm not going to walk around the house all night for your pleasure." I don't know how much of that he grasped, but I guess it didn't mean much to him. He cried for a little bit before deciding that it was more fun to chew his bobo than to cry.

I share this story because it reminded me so much of James 4:1-3, especially verse 3: You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. In his little way, Jaden was communicating to me a strongly desired "need" that he knew I could meet if I so chose. What I basically told him was, "You have food and you have clothing--with these be content!"

How often I am the wailing infant, convinced that God could and should meet my needs because He loves me, when He is saying, "I do love you, and I will supply all your needs... but there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for you brought nothing into the world, and you cannot take anything out of the world. You have food and clothing, with these be content." (1 Tim. 6:6-8)

Of course, this evening came in timely fashion for me: I am right now reading Calvin's chapter on prayer in the Institutes. I highly commend you take a look-see at that chapter.