And God Said, “No”

I asked God to take away my pride,
And God said, “No.”
He said it was not for Him to take away,
But for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,
And God said, “No.”
He said her spirit is whole,
Her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience,
And God said, “No.”
He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation,
It isn’t granted, it’s earned.

I asked God to give me happiness,
And God said, “No.”
He said He gives blessings,
Happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain,
And God said, “No.”
He said, “Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
And brings you closer to Me.”

I asked God to make my spirit grow,
And God said, “No.”
He said I must grow on my own,
But He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked God if He loved me,
And God said, “Yes.”
He gave His only Son who died for me,
And I will be in heaven someday because I believe.

I asked God to help me love others
As much as He loves me,
And God said,
“Ah, finally you have the idea.”

—Claudia Minden Weisz (the mother of a Rett Syndrome child)