ME:

Hey God.

Am I good enough for my kids?

Am I doing a good job?

Do I do enough good to outweigh the bad?

GOD:

Has your child smiled this week?

How about laughed?

Did they eat every day?

Did they have clean clothes to wear?

Did you hug them?

Did you think about them when they weren't with you?

Have you missed them ever?

Do you worry about them?

Do you talk to them?

How about listening when they talk?

Have you driven them somewhere?

Did you go to the park?

Have you played a game?

Have you helped with homework?

Did you take their picture?

Did you talk about them to someone?

Have you prayed for them?

ME:

Yes. Yes, I have. I've done all of that.

GOD:

Then I think you have your answer.

ME:

But what about all the yelling I've done,

the times I was preoccupied and distracted in their presence,

or when I quickly become overtly exasperated with them,

and the times I've unintentionally broken their spirit?

GOD:

Has your child smiled this week?

How about laughed?

Did they eat every day?

Did they have clean clothes to wear?

Did you hug them?

Did you think about them when they weren't with you?

Have you missed them ever?

Do you worry about them?

Do you talk to them?

How about listening when they talk?

Have you driven them somewhere?

Did you go to the park?

Have you played a game?

Have you helped with homework?

Did you take their picture?

Did you talk about them to someone?

Have you prayed for them?

ME:

Yes. Yes, I have. I told you already; I have done all of that.

GOD:

Then, I repeat — I think you have your answer.