Trick or Treat?

While I did my part facilitating the nearly 6,000 people visiting the zoo this past weekend for Howl-o-Ween, ZooMT’s trick-or-treat event, I made several observations.

This is the one that stood out.

Do any of these kids really expect a trick?

Last Friday evening, my Daniel and I enjoyed watching the classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, in which Charlie Brown ends up with a sack full of rocks after a night of trick-or-treating.

Do kids these days, or any days from the past for that matter, really expect anything other than a treat when going door-to-door?

Of course not. It’d be a stroke of cruelty to pass out rocks to the kids in your neighborhood. I mean, even those who distribute dental floss are suspicious in my book!

It got me thinking…

Do we “trick or treat” with God when we pray? Do we knock on His celestial door, hold out our orange plastic jack-o-lanterns, lean back with a cringe terrified that He might possibly hand us out a trick?

Or are we like the typical kid who believes with all his heart that he’s getting a treat in his bucket?

My point is this…

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

God is not cruel. He does not hand out tricks. We can depend on Him to hand out treats, every time. He works everything that even seems like a trick to turn into a treat. We can trust Him, even when we feel like we’re dragging around a sack of rocks.

Life gets us down and throws punches at us, all the while the enemy whispers in our ears that God is not good and that we should always expect tricks from Him.

Don’t listen to that lie! Even when life has body slammed you… again… maybe for the ump-teenth time.

OK, easier said than done.

What do you do if that lying whisper becomes a roar?

Here are a couple suggestions that have helped me.

No matter the circumstances, give thanks.

Actively maintain the belief that God is good, so give Him praise.

Be patient. Not every day is going to be a “good” day, but every day contributes to ultimate good.

Keep believing, like those kids, that by the end of the night, your bucket will be full of treats.

Be blessed, Dry Ground friends!

(photo by photobucket.com)