Faith Like This Child

I love the innocence of children.  The way they embrace life as one big adventure.  The way they are enthusiastic about the smallest - we are tempted to say silliest - things.  The way they make friends in the amount of time it takes to smile shyly across the playground.  The way they hope expectantly - not cautiously like so many adults. 

And I love the way that children love!  With complete abandon.  With fierce loyalty.  With the kind of acceptance that willingly overlooks faults.  With the sugar sweet affection that only a child's smiling eyes and squeeze-tight-hug can bring.

You know, there's a reason that God instructs us to have faith like a child.  The faith of a child is pure.  Genuine.  Not complicated with my doubts and  my stubborn pride and my insistence on seeing everything before I will move forward.  Children receive God with the blessed assurance that, sometimes, I find I only sing about.  Of course God loves me, they say.  Of course I am valuable!  Of course I am forgiven!  Of course God is good!

I say these things too ... and believe them!  But some days it comes out a little less confidently:  God loves me, right?  I have value, right?  God can forgive this too, right?  God is good even though children die in the streets and injustice runs rampant in this world and the empty aching of loneliness leaves tear stains on my pillow ..... right?

Every week I meet with youth from across Chicagoland for camp's year-round discipleship program. The kids are growing! They learn Bible stories and verses and are challenged with real-life application. I see an understanding of God's Word maturing in my kids as they consistently study. I can see the fruit of discipleship in their lives, and even in their families. Chelsea is 10 years old and this is her first year in Partners in Discipleship.  At the end of our Bible study time we always pray together.  These are Chelsea's prayer requests:

"Pray for my aunt and uncle.  They are going to have a baby!  I want to pray for the baby that she will get to hear God's Word and hear about how Jesus died for her."

"Pray that I will get to come to church every week.  Sometimes my parents can't bring me because they are working, but I still want to come."

"Pray that I will be good crop.  The Bible lesson this week was about the seed that feel on good ground and made good crops and the seeds that fell on bad ground and didn't grow crops.  I want my life to be the good crop for God!" 

What beautiful, beautiful prayers!  I can feel the smile of God as his child prays from a tender heart, wide open.  The faith of a child: innocent, pure .... and unexpectedly convicting.  And I can hear the whisper of the Spirit in my soul saying "Have faith like this child."