1.11.2010

The Toy God Gave Us



I have wanted a play kitchen set for the boys for a long time. We aren't fans of collecting random toys in our house and seeing as we weren't sure if the boys would actually play with the kitchen set or not Paul asked me to not buy them one. I was totally ok with that - I agreed with his reasoning, even though I still monitored the price in toy fliers all through the holidays.
I have great memories of playing with my own toy kitchen and seeing as Judah loves to help us in our kitchen I thought he would get great enjoyment out of it.

But I didn't know for sure.
And I also agreed with Paul about not wanting to spend money on a 'fad' toy.

So you know what I did?
I prayed about it. Just once. It wasn't like this was a huge passion of mine to get my boys a play kitchen. But it was a big enough of a deal that I wanted to make sure I didn't get a bad attitude with Paul about him saying he didn't like the idea. And I kind of did want the boys to have the chance to play with a toy kitchen. So I prayed that I would be respectful and not push to buy a toy kitchen set.

God answered that prayer. While I did dreamily look at them in toy fliers, and even occasionally point them out to Paul as to how cute they were, I never did mind that Paul did not want us to buy a toy kitchen. Even in my heart, I never felt any sort of grudge towards him. Trite as that might sound, it sometimes irks me when I want the boys to share in a part of one of my childhood memories and he doesn't see the importance in it just because he didn't have that memory.
Looking back now I can see how God worked on my life and heart and it is really amazing to me that I didn't ever get annoyed with Paul about this.

Which is what makes what happened all the more beautiful to me.

We were given a play kitchen set - complete with burners, a stove, a pot rack, shelves and a sink.
And not just any play kitchen set, but a Pottery Barn Kids kitchen set! From what I have seen online this sells used for $150 on up!



I was sitting outside our local thrift store when a man pulled up and started unloading a car full of stuff. When I saw the kitchen set I asked him if he would sell it to me instead of tossing it in the donation bin. I wasn't exactly sure what I would do when he named his price, as I kind of asked him about it before I really thought through the whole "My husband doesn't want me to buy one of these" in the few seconds between seeing it and running out of my car, but the man laughed and said "Oh, I don't want money. I would love to give this to you." And he picked it up and carried it to my car.

If you ask Judah where he got his kitchen set from he will tell you;
"God gave it to me."

And indeed He did. He blessed us beyond what I could have imagined - for even if Paul had been excited about buying the kids a kitchen set we never could have afforded one this nice.

Oh, and in case you're wondering the boys love the kitchen. It is the only toy they have played with since Saturday.

21 comments:

Bethany said...

What a beautiful story!!! I just love it. I always wanted a toy kitchen when I was a girl but I never had one.

Brittany said...

beautiful story. so sweet!!! i love the kitchen, the blue is perfect.....

BeckeyZ said...

That is awesome!!! And yeah, it is so much nicer than the plastic one we have....very boyish too. I like it, and the fact that God provided it makes it even more awesome.

Jessica Morris said...

I know!! Blue kitchens aren't all that common - it is completely masculine!

Jessica said...

Very cool story. Thank you for sharing that.

And very cool kitchen, too. Leah got one for Christmas from her grandparents, and I'm thinking her pink and purple one wouldn't have fit so well for your boys. =)

Bethany said...

Whoa! I love it when God does things like this. What an awesome God we have!

Tammy said...

What an amazing story - I'm almost crying :)

Keetha Broyles said...

Oh my word! That looks like a REAL kitchen.

Jessica The Rock Chick said...

Jessica, what a beautiful story and what a wonderful gift for the boys! (not just the kitchen set, but this story you wrote that they can read later). You are amazing!!

Kristin said...

I have tears in my eyes...really. I love what you wrote about respecting your husband. This is an area I've really been working on and I totally understand what you mean about "minding" when he doesn't think something is as important as you do. Anyway, great story. Great kitchen. Helen loves hers and plays with it constantly...I bet your boys will get LOTS of enjoyment from it.

BTW: what does Paul think about it?

Amy said...

LOVE it! Such a great story. SUCH a cool kitchen. Those boys will be great cooks, I bet. =)

asnipofgoodness said...

That was a great story. Don't ya just love it when the Lord teaches, and blesses everyone differently with the same tool? I bet there was even a lesson, and a blessing for the man that gave it to you. Now you have passed the blessing on to us! Thanks!

Dawn said...

what i love most is that he really believes it was a gift from God. i hope you enjoy many meals from this kitchen!!

Amy said...

What a cool story. Isn't God amazing sometimes. In the smallest of ways, he can be seen. I am so happy for you and your boys. I am sure they will make many memories with this toy.

Lisa-Jo Baker said...

Oh that is just priceless! What a treasure that kitchen will be for you in so many different ways because of how it came to you. And on a personal note, I have to share that my two boys have a kitchen as well and it is the one toy they play with every single day, for years now! Along with dump trucks and diggers, that toy kitchen is a staple. I love when I hear about other moms wanting to share a different kind of play experience with their sons!

Southern Gal said...

Isn't God great like that?

Michelle DeRusha said...

I have to say, that is the coolest, hippest kitchen -- your boys are going to love it. And I love how realistic it looks. My guys had a play kitchen too -- they got a ton of use out of it before I donated it to the goodwill -- hopefully someone else's kids are now loving it, too. I love the generosity of that good samaritan!

Deidra said...

God is all about answering, isn't He? Great kitchen set! Even better story!

Beth said...

How cool is God? He even cares about toy kitchens? Thanks for sharing this total put-a-smile-on-my-face story!

Traci Michele said...

That is so awesome! God is so good, to give us the "little things" our hearts desire!

Nice to meet you! Found you over at chatting at the sky!

Hugs,
Traci

Scooper said...

Oh I love that story. I've had similar ones in my life and even though it's just stuff and it's not life or stuff, it's such an incredible reminder that God is there and He hears and He cares.

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