"I want a pony for my birthday."

As I got home from the little dinner we had after my college graduation, I sat on my bed, talked to Him, and said, "can I have more time, please?" I looked at the clock, it read, 9:00pm, but it was just ticking constantly.

I realized, my asking for more time from Him is like a little girl asking for a pony on her birthday. i guess in such cases, where the father would not want to burst the girl's bubble, he'd bring her instead to ride a carousel where different ponies are aboard.

"it goes round and round
atop a platform
ponies side by side
in pink, purple, yellow and blue."

And the girl, with that gleaming joy and hope in her eyes, would look at her father with much gratitude and affection. She sees the carousel, and she's happy as if she never liked having a pony on her birthday. --- We ask in simplicity, and we receive with greater humility.

I ask for more time, but I am given more things to do. Now, it does not seem to fit the carousel-for-a-pony-gift analogy. "Is it really more time that you need, or would you rather be efficient in your daily tasks?" left with nothing to say, I smile sheepishly and nod to say, yes i would rather be efficient in these tasks.

Sometimes we ask for a miracle, when it only requires that we be practical.