Orphan and Widow: Musings on Childlike Faith

I’ve had the privilege this last week of staying with my sister and nephews while Derek and Ryan have been visiting a closed country in Central Asia (since this is a public blog, I will leave exact details omitted). It has been loads of fun, but mostly insightful- from the call of sacrifice in being a mom, to the incredible ministry of shaping and molding a child’s heart.

The chief insight I have had, and what I would like to discuss in this post, is the commandment believers are given to have “childlike faith”. Matthew 18:2-6 says

"...I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

We have all witnessed the innocent faith of a child, but my question to you is

How many of us actually take the time to observe the faith of a child for the purpose of molding ours to their example?

So what has childlike faith looked like this week? From the eyes of a two year old, here are my observations:

1) Yesterday on our walk:

Me: Rollins, did you talk to Daddy today?
Rollins: Yes…on ‘puter (computer)
Me: Where is he?
Rollins: far, far away
Me: But where is he?
Rollins: {name of country here} …with Uncle Derek
Jenn: What is he doing?
Rollins: See missionaries…and tell about God.

2) Last night, 9 pm, Rollins wakes up and starts crying for his Daddy. We figured this moment would probably come at some point while Ryan was away. He understands where Daddy is and why he must be there, but at 2 years old, he still has difficulty understanding the concept of time, thus his difficulty grasping when Daddy will be home. Since we were talking to the guys on Skype at the time, we thought we’d let him try to talk to Ryan and maybe he’d settle down. But this only made matters worse. Red-faced, snotty-nosed, and screaming, Jenn brought him back to his room to console him. After a while, I went and stood outside the door to see if he had settled down. I heard her explaining {again} where Daddy was, when he was coming home, and why people in {this specific country} desperately needed to know about Jesus. Then, I heard Rollins say {through sobs}, “Mommy…sing a Bible verse?” And she sung softly Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet & a Light Unto My Path. And after a while, they both fell asleep.

Reflections on these observations:

1. How often do I hunger for my heavenly Father as this one hungers for his daddy?

2. Why do I seek fulfillment from things (and people) in this world when I know that Christ is the only one who can provide security and comfort to my heart?

3. When I am overwhelmed by the burdens of this world, is it my first instinct to “sing a Bible verse” in order to quiet my troubled heart? How true it is that God's Word is like a soothing balm to our aching souls.

4. I know that there is a whole world of people who need to hear the Good News of a Savior, but do I understand the sacrifice that is asked of me in order that they may know?

5. More importantly, do I understand the magnificent sacrifice that was made on my behalf that I may now live joyously in communion with my Father?

And finally, how do I now live in response to these observations?