The innocent, pure, untainted faith of a child NEVER ceases to amaze me. As a cynical adult who has been overly influenced by the world and its desires, I all too often lose sight of Who is really in charge here. I move through life pushing onward in my own strength, working my way to my own goals, and mistakenly start thinking it's all about me... HA! The joke is on me, and God reminds me of that every time.
While I should realize that a little reminder from my Father is on its way, I tend to forget, and even when I do remember, I never quite know how it will reach me. Sometimes God catches me before I get too far gone, and I read a verse or hear a song and it brings His purpose back to light. Other times it takes words from a sermon, or a friend, or a devotional to bring me back full circle. However, there is something so sweet about hearing a gentle reminder of His grace and power from my children.
You see, like most moms, I try to instill an understanding of how wonderful God is in my children. I make sure they hear the stories of God's faithfulness, and that they are told daily of His love for them. I attempt to remind them of His grace and His plan for their lives even at a young age. They attend church, Sunday school, and receive a Christian education, and they already know that God is real. They can tell you all about different Bible stories and people in Biblical history. However, for a mom, it can be hard sometimes to go beyond the "telling" stage. There is a fine line between knowing all the "stuff," and applying this knowledge of God in every day life. So many nights I go to bed praying for my girls and wondering if they're really getting it.
As I've mentioned, this past week has been a blur of busyness and emotion. I personally have lost focus on more than one occasion, and once you lose focus, you lose stamina. As I sat on the couch this morning, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion, ready to throw in the towel. I was very near tears, wondering how in the world I could keep going at this pace, and throwing myself quite a nice pity party. Then my sweet little Maddie Blue walked up to me. Little did I know that God was about to use this two-year-old angel to bring a profound message to me.
Maddie was holding my old cell phone... how she got it, I'll never know, but she had it, and it was turned on (another mystery since it hasn't been used in about a year). She walked up to me and said, "See that, Mommy?" I looked at the phone she was holding out to me, and the background was a picture of the sun setting over the ocean that we had taken quite some time ago. As I looked at the picture, wondering how it had grabbed her attention, she so sweetly said, "That's God. He made that." And with that, she turned around and walked back out of the room to return to her Elmo puzzle.
Wow. What a moment that was. I sat, stunned at what had just occurred. At the moment that I was ready to collapse in defeat, my toddler reminded me that it's not about me. She got it. She could look at something as small as a picture and see God's power and majesty. She was able to see Him, and He sent her to remind me that He is there. This world that has been making me crazy is His. Granted, we've skewed the picture a bit with our sinful nature, but ultimately, its His. This life that drives me to the brink of insanity as I try to run it on my own isn't mine- it's His. He is right there in the middle of it all- the world around me shouts of His presence, reflecting His glory. How can you not see him? Yet I've been missing it (again). If I would just slow down and look through the eyes of a child, maybe I could see Who is really in charge.
Tonight as I pray, I know that I don't have to wonder if Maddie is getting it. I need to wonder if I'm getting it! I pray that I can encourage this amazing faith that I see in my girls, and learn from their example. Most importantly, I am thanking God for my incredible children, and for His mercy and gentle reminders that He is right here.
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