As I pulled my brimming shopping cart to a stop at the checkout counter, a toy truck caught my son's eye.

"Mommy--a truck. Can we buy it? Please?"

With his fifth birthday only 11 days away, we had used our money to purchase his first bicycle, the one item he wanted more than anything else in the world. So I said no to the truck.

"You never say yes to anything," he muttered dejectedly before retreating into silence.

As I reflected on his childish behavior, I cringed. I had acted the same way before God just a few days before. I had prayed for something he chose to withhold. I hadn't stopped to think that his "no" today might be a prelude to unimaginable blessings tomorrow.