What Makes My Kids Cry Today

By Lizzie @ What Makes My Kid Cry Today

Real Life. Real Laughs. Real Jesus.

It was a simple “no.”

A reasonable one.

A logical one.

“No, you can’t eat the dog’s ice cream.”

Cue instant heartbreak.

Like I had just crushed every dream he’d ever had.

Never mind the fact that the label literally said “For Dogs Only.”

Never mind the smell. Or the texture.

To him, it was cold. Sweet. Probably delicious.

And I was the cruel warden standing between him and joy.

At first, I laughed. Because, honestly—it was ridiculous.

But then I started thinking…

We do the same thing with God.

We want something that looks good.

Feels good.

Seems like it should be ours.

And when He says no—we pout.

We cry.

We assume He’s being unfair.

But what if that “no” is protection, not punishment?

I think about how many things I’ve begged God for:

Opportunities that looked exciting.

People I wanted to impress.

Plans I thought were perfect.

And He said no.

I didn’t understand in the moment.

I may have even cried like a toddler denied a treat.

But later? I saw the wisdom. The kindness. The grace hidden in the refusal.

Just like I wasn’t trying to ruin my child’s day—I was protecting his stomach.

God isn’t trying to ruin our lives—He’s protecting our hearts.

He sees what we can’t.

He knows what’s really meant for us.

And sometimes the kindest thing He can do is block us from the thing we think we want.

🙏 Faith Reflection

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” — Psalm 84:11

If He’s saying “no,” it’s not because He’s withholding something good.

It’s because that thing was never going to be good for you.

Cry Level: Instant meltdown

Mom Response: Gently holding boundaries (while trying not to laugh)

Faith Takeaway: God’s “no” is often love in disguise.