You've Got to Ask the Right Question

I am trying to teach my children to ask the right question.
Because, you see, I am selfish. And if they don't learn to ask the right question, they're never going to like the answer they receive.

Let's see if you get what I'm saying.

If you were - oh, my son - and you wanted me to go outside with you and throw the football around (Even though I might, uh, break a nail!), should you ask:
Mom, do you want to play football with me?
or
Mom, will you play football with me?

OR, if you were my daughter and it was time for you to do the dishes, and you wanted me to read to you while you were doing your chores (Even though I had just spent enough time in the kitchen making dinner.), should you ask:
Mom, do you want to read to me?
or
Mom, will you read to me?

Do you see the difference?
Do you understand why it's important for my children to ask the right question?

If they ask me a question which begins, "Do you want to...?" chances are the answer is going to be, "No."
Because I am selfish.
And if someone is asking me to do something that wasn't my idea, and isn't centered around me and my comfort, I probably don't really want to do it.
Just bein' honest! *grin*

BUT, God is refining me. He is teaching me to say NO to my selfish desires. (Doesn't mean the selfish desires are gone. Just that He's helping me to say NO to them.)
Therefore, if my children learn to ask the right question, (i.e. "Will you...?" rather than, "Do you want to...?") there is a much greater likelihood that my response will be, "Yes."

Soooo, until my little darlings 'get it,' I'll keep following up their Do-you-want-to?s with, "Honey, you've got to ask the right question."

And, actually, I'm kinda wondering if there might come a day somewhere in this refining process when I'll be able to answer even the Do-you-want-to?s with a YES.
Now, that would be truly amazing. Don't you think?