By ROBIN O’BRYANT

Sadie, my four-year-old imp, is a ball of energy. She has a mop of white blond hair that is constantly hanging in her face, and a gift for knowing exactly which buttons to push to make her older sisters scream like they’ve been set on fire. I’d say it’s one of the many gifts of being the youngest, but my youngest sister was God’s gift to my mother—I guess He felt obligated to do something nice for her after she had me.

Regardless of how completely insane Sadie can make her sisters Aubrey and Emma, they still dote on her. Emma enjoys having a playmate to be in charge of, play dolls and make believe with and Aubrey will sit and read to Sadie for as long as she’ll sit still. (Not that long.)

Sadie has a few catchphrases: “Benember da time…” she’ll say, meaning, “Remember the time…” and fill in the blank with some wild story that may or may not have actually happened.

But my personal favorite is, “If you want to know why I’m (fill in the blank here)—just ask!” Sadie says this at least 15 times a day. “If you want to know why I’m taking the cheese off my sammich— just ask!”

“If you want to know why I’m putting my bathing suit on—just ask!”

“If you want to know why I’m brushing my teeth (on the swing)—just ask!”

It’s become a sort of family inside joke, as soon as she finishes her sentence the whole family will respond in unison and with exaggerated interest, “Sadie, why are you taking the cheese off your sandwich?”

“Sadie, why are you putting your bathing suit on?”

“Sadie, why are you brushing your teeth?”

She grins that impish grin, showing off her tiny little teeth and the dimples in her cheeks and on her chin. She derives great pleasure from our asking, even when she knows we are only doing it because she told us to.

It struck me the other evening, as I asked her rote question after rote question, almost repeating after her and she rattled off her lists of “If you want to know—just ask,” that God must feel the same way.

He’s told us, if anyone lacks wisdom—just ask. Need peace? Just ask.

Sick and barely holding on? Just ask.

My mind was running wild as I realized that just like Sadie, God doesn’t even care WHY we are asking. It doesn’t matter if we are doing it because He told us to, because we’re bored, or because we are totally out of other options—He derives joy out of our asking Him and depending on Him to deliver the answer.

You don’t even have to feign enthusiasm—just ask.