The mind of a child never ceases to amaze me. Children just see the world differently. They see animals in the sky instead of clouds and angels in the snow after wildly flapping their arms. Oh the things we could see through the eyes of a child.
Hannah has been taking dance lessons from the same studio for over six years, and for those six years we have traveled the same road from our house to the dance studio at least a million times. (It probably isn't really a million times, but math isn't my strongest suit, so I am guesstimating!) Several years ago on one of our treks to dance, Hannah said "look mom, it's the witch hat tree." Hmm, I had no idea what she was talking about. By the time I figured out she was trying to show me something, we were long past the tree in question. The next trip, she pointed it out again. "Wow, it really does look like a witch's hat," I said in surprise. I would have never seen it. It was just another big green tree. But through the eyes of a child. . .
Isn't it the same with our faith? If only we could keep that new child-like faith forever, how rich our walk with God could be. With the onset of the pre-teen years, it seems the world is already chipping away at Hannah's faith. She recently told me that God doesn't answer her prayers. "He answers other people's prayers, not mine," she said. Oh how I tried to explain that He does answer prayer and that He is delighted every time she talks to Him. But she had put up a wall and didn't want to hear anything about it. Girlfriend troubles at school had convinced her, at least for the moment, that she was on her own.
Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to the little children and anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Luke 18:16-17). I pray Hannah will not lose that child-like faith she had when she first gave her heart to Jesus. I pray her faith will grow not diminish. And, I pray that along the road of life she will always be able to see the witch's hat instead of just a tree.
Hannah has been taking dance lessons from the same studio for over six years, and for those six years we have traveled the same road from our house to the dance studio at least a million times. (It probably isn't really a million times, but math isn't my strongest suit, so I am guesstimating!) Several years ago on one of our treks to dance, Hannah said "look mom, it's the witch hat tree." Hmm, I had no idea what she was talking about. By the time I figured out she was trying to show me something, we were long past the tree in question. The next trip, she pointed it out again. "Wow, it really does look like a witch's hat," I said in surprise. I would have never seen it. It was just another big green tree. But through the eyes of a child. . .
Isn't it the same with our faith? If only we could keep that new child-like faith forever, how rich our walk with God could be. With the onset of the pre-teen years, it seems the world is already chipping away at Hannah's faith. She recently told me that God doesn't answer her prayers. "He answers other people's prayers, not mine," she said. Oh how I tried to explain that He does answer prayer and that He is delighted every time she talks to Him. But she had put up a wall and didn't want to hear anything about it. Girlfriend troubles at school had convinced her, at least for the moment, that she was on her own.
Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to the little children and anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Luke 18:16-17). I pray Hannah will not lose that child-like faith she had when she first gave her heart to Jesus. I pray her faith will grow not diminish. And, I pray that along the road of life she will always be able to see the witch's hat instead of just a tree.
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