Faith As A Little Child

My little boy loves his Grandpa Ed and they are really good friends.  His best pal has been in the hospital for two weeks and almost daily we go visit. 


Every day, every time we are there, that little boy folds his hands, closes his eyes and surrenders his Grandpa to God.  For healing and for care. This is a boy who drives monster trucks on the blankets, he is curious about people in other rooms and when he is done praying he gently puts his hand on his Grandpa's heart and says, "I love you Grandpa"


When the man in the next bed was in pain he wanted to tell a nurse.  When the nurses were working hard he asked me to take him to get them some treats and when he gets very tired he cries and we pray together.


I am humbled by the generous and faithful heart of my small son.  

Luke 18:17 (New King James Version)  "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Oh how I want to be faithful like him!  I love his faith and I love his spirit and he teaches me every day that we can play, we can cry, we can laugh and we can pray. 

We can come to God as His children and give to Him those things which are not ours  to care for, handle or do.  As a (alleged) grown up I sometimes feel like I've lost that connection to the faith of a child we are told to have.

Have you ever noticed that small things matter so much to God?

Child faith, mustard seed faith, sparrow faith - if things as small as that matter a great deal to God then shouldn't they also matter a great deal to us?  

Just throwing that out for you to think about - what if it isn't all about the organized, neat and tidy faith we trot out to Church on Sunday?  

What if it is the muddy knees, finger paint covered, cookie eating, simple praying and totally believing-without-a-doubt little things make a big difference?  What if it really is a smile or a sandwich?  What if it really is a touch and a prayer in line at the store or at a red light?  What if it is getting a little bit of thankful in your joy instead of shushing or tidying or making things look pretty?

What if it is more pretty leaves and wild sunsets?  What if it is more giggles and singing prayers and less proof, arguments and 'being grown up'?

Jesus welcomed the children to Him and not just because He had a lesson to teach, I believe that He needed some skinned knees and grassy stained elbows, He needed some giggles and tickles, He needed a broken toy or a broken heart.  Jesus welcomed children because He knew the importance of the small in a big world, He knew the value of the little in a world where 'big' and 'grown up' were too important.  He valued the lambs, even as the rams rattled their horns and stomped their importance to the world.

I pray every day, sometimes many times a day, that I can be worthy of the honour and blessing that this gift of a child of God is.  I am grateful  for my miracle and each lesson we teach each other blesses us. 

Enjoy the little things today, laugh more, giggle  in the store, make faces at  the dog and when you need to talk to God, go to Him as a child to a beloved and trusted parent.  

Even if you never had a human parent who was beloved and trusted, God is always there and no matter how big the problem is God is bigger, His love stronger and don't forget He remembers the little things like children, sparrows and mustard seeds!