This weekend my five-year old arose very early and caught me in the middle of my quiet time. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I journal my quiet time to not only keep me focused, but to look back over the years and see all the things God has accomplished in my life when I’m having a bad day or week or month or even year. Yes, I’ve had some bad years. Please tell me I’m not alone? Can I get an “Amen” from the back? Anyway, I call those my rebuilding years, where God is tearing me down to build up something better.
I’m not sure what woke up my little one, but it always amazes me that on the one day of the week he can sleep in, he’s up before the sunrise. All my kids know that in the morning when I’m sitting quietly, writing in my journal, you don’t bother mom, because it’s “Mommy Time” as it’s come to be known in our house. However, I could tell my little one needed some TLC and I put down my pen to have what turned out to be a conversation to inspire this blog post.
“Mom, why do you like to write?” my little one asked.
“Because I love to write,” was my answer.
He cocked his head to one side, like the RCA dog of old, clearly thinking about my response, and said, “I love to play. So I’m going to go play.” My little one then proceed to tackle/wrestle my husband still asleep next to me much to my delight because I was able to finish my quiet time.
I adore his way of thinking and it made me realize how simple his answer was. All he wanted during the early morning hours was someone to listen to him and someone to play with for a little while. I supplied the listening and Dad supplied the playing. His requests and desires were so simple and innocent. It reminded me of how God wants us to have the faith of a child. In Matthew 18:3 (NIV) is says, “And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Right now, my five-year old thinks my husband and myself are heroes. I know this will change because it has changed in our 10 and 13 year olds. But for right now, at this moment in time, our youngest, has unquestionable belief that we will take care of him, feed him (this is a big one as he’s going through a growth spurt right now) do our best to keep him safe and warm as well as provide guidance to him when he needs it or is going off course. Sometimes, he responds to this correction with ease and the words, “Okay, mommy.” Other times it’s with kicking, screaming and a trip to the timeout corner.
When God asks me to have a child like faith, it’s not with the kicking and screaming response, which I sometimes do. I wonder if God wants to put me in a time out corner when this happens. Instead, He wants me to respond with trust and obedience, knowing He will take care of me and direct my path. While my trust gets easier the more time I spend with God, the best reminder has been going back and reading through my journal and seeing how God has worked things out for my good during those rebuilding years. This in turn builds my faith for future trials.
Are there things you do to build your faith and provide reminders of God’s goodness? Share it in the comments below.