Faith of a Child - Part 4

"She's being a butt-face!" Little Girl

"That's not a nice thing to say.

Maybe you can pray that she will be

nicer tomorrow, " Mommy

"I know what I'll pray!

I'm gonna ask God

to put a sock in her mouth!" Little Girl.

Search the world over, and you will never find anyone more honest that a child, or the childlike. On one of my friend's FaceBook status, he mentioned that his first experience in kids church was a child saying that he needed help 'wiping'. Now if you've worked with children this does not frighten you at all, or even make you pause. To the rookie, a statement like that can blow you away!

Children are not political. They don't know the meaning of the word tact. They don't see multiple sides of each view. They only see their own. They have to be taught the proper times and places for words. But something can be lost. That 'something' is what these last posts have been all about. This one? It's about honesty. Loose that facade. Drop the mask. Show yourself, raw and wounded. Honesty.

I remember growing up in Sunday School when no one wanted to pray out loud. We were old enough to be concerned about what we would say and how it would sound. Not just to God, but to the friends around us who were hearing also. In the decades since then, I have come to an understanding. The only One that is listening and that matters is not going to diagram your sentence. He's not grading your grammar. He doesn't even care if the words make sense. You see, He hears your heart. So no matter how bad or good your prayer sounds, He's not only listening to it. He's hearing what you're thinking. He's hearing the honesty.

So, step back. Use your words. The ones that expose you. Stomp your foot. He's not intimidated. Wait and see, He will be honest with you. Be honest with Him.

Faith of a Child - 3

Jesus loves the little children,

all the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

they are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children

of the world.

Prejudice is nothing new. Even Elizabeth Bennett in Jane Austin's novel held her own prejudices. Everyone struggles with prejudice. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or hasn't dug deep enough into themselves. The biggies are race, gender, creed or religion. But the truth is, we are all prejudice or afraid of anything or anyone different. That 'different' could be from ourselves or even what we have become accustomed to.

A perfect representation is what has happened across the Deep South and East Coast over the last few decades. When Central American immigrants began to travel east, we here in the South were faced with a new race in our neighborhoods, grocery stores and schools. Used to only two races in our communities, we have had to adjust. And who among us adjusts to change well? The Australian Aborigines were not a free people until the middle to end of the twentieth century. That is in our lifetime and how can that be possible? The Jews of the 1940's were called 'Christ Killers'. Have we forgotten that it was our sin that held Him on those beams of wood? He hasn't.

Is this the way He wants us to live? Obviously not, as the words of that little chorus tell us. No matter who or what they are, Jesus loves them. No matter who or what you are, He loves you. Scriptures tell us that He does not respect one person above another. King or peasant. Millionaire or beggar. Slave or slaver. Believer or unbeliever. Not one of us can outrun His love for us. Even our own hate is snuffed out by His love. There is not one moment of your life that He has not loved you. Whether you are the victim or abuser. He was grieved by what you did or what you received and He loved you. In that horrible moment, He loved you.

Faith of a Child - Part 2

I see the moon and the moon sees me.

The moon sees someone I can't see.

God bless the moon and God bless me.

God bless someone I can't see.

A coworker of mine quoted this prayer to me. She learned it when she was a little girl. We agreed that it was a sweet prayer for a child to pray. Then we both thought about it for a few minutes. It is more than a child's prayer. It says much more.We live in a world of goodbyes. We always have. But in this day and age, this world is smaller than ever. Thanks to unlimited texting, free long distance, FaceBook and Skype, 'goodbye' is temporary. It only lasts until the next 'hello'. That leaves only one question, 'Can any of these amazing creations replace the connection of a hug or the touch of a hand?'

They cannot. And there are always going to be moments that we miss. Moments when we can't see the ones we love. Parents who are deployed throughout the world. Broken homes. Job transfers. The fact remains that the same moon we see above us, is the same moon those loved ones see as well. And the same God, sees them just as closely and intimately as He sees us.

So those moments when all you want is a hug from that missing loved one; when you long to hold their hand; when you long to sit next to them in sweet silence, remember that prayer. Remember that the Lord of all the universe holds you both in His Hand.

God bless someone I cannot see.

Faith of a Child - Part 1

13-16The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Mark 10:13-16

The Message

Over the next few posts I will be writing about the beauty that is faith from the perspective of a child. So often, we Christians, over analyze, over complicate life and all it entails. You can't fake it for long with children. They tend to see the bottom line. They don't worry about the manners or embarrassing truths that we avoid mentioning in 'polite' society. There is so much we can learn from them. There is so much we can learn by returning to the simple things. The Bible stories, the prayers, the songs. We may know them all, but how often to we concentrate on the words? On the truths?

I have the next two posts already, but if you have your own ideas, please leave a comment. This group of posts can be as long as we want. So put down your pens and pick up your crayons. Stop walking and skip a few steps. Take your mom's or dad's hand and hold it. Don't worry about your grammar or spelling, just say it. Go to bed early. Watch an old cartoon. Sing at the top of your lungs, whether or not it sounds good. Throw your head back and laugh loud, long and hard. Be 'little' for a while with me. Let's see where it takes us.

Stabilze

Walk into any emergency room in the US and you will see the same things. People waiting. Loved ones, waiting to hear. Sick and injured waiting to be seen. Worry. Pain. Fatigue. Impatience. But follow the hallway and through the doors you will find a different picture. Oh, you will still see the worry, pain and fatigue. But in the place of all the waiting, you will see motion. Nurses, radiologists, lab techs and doctors. All moving. You see, in this area, these are the most emergent cases. These are the patients who can't wait in that room. Here you will find trauma. Here is all the action. And what's the name of the game? Stability. All the professionals are working toward that goal. Keep those lungs working. Stop the bleeding. Get that heart pumping. These are not the professionals who worry about scars. Life is the goal, not the quality of it.

Do you ever feel that you're in God's ER? Maybe you're waiting... Waiting... Waiting... Maybe you're bleeding out. Maybe you're lung is punctured. Maybe you've experienced a spinal injury and you can't feel anything. Something isn't working and it's a major crisis. You're on the gurney. Worried. Hurting. Tired. You can't feel or see it, but He's working. His goal is to get you stable. And what's next? Maybe getting stable is all the help you need. Sometimes the problem is much deeper. He's working on the symptoms because you aren't in a healthy environment. He's pumping you full of fluids. Watching your blood pressure and heart rhythms. And once you're stable?

Then He moves you. He finds a clean room and bed. He puts the right staff around you to monitor you. He's gotten the bleeding stopped. Now it's time to treat the cause. Now it's time to get you healed. It may required extensive surgery. Or painful therapy. You weren't ready before, but now you're stable. It's a mess. You're a mess. But you're one step closer to healing. Sometimes it's just a paper cut. But many times, it's worse. A lot worse.

It's a long and painful process. Lonely. But this hospital, this place of healing, is full of people. People who are going through this very process. Just at different levels than you. Don't rush it. Take it at His pace. He knows the beginning and the end better than you do. We have all been there and His are the gentlest of Hands.

Judge Not...

There is a reason that God, in His infinite wisdom, told us not to judge others. He did tell us to watch the actions (fruits) of others. He did tell us to be wise. He also commanded us to love. How can we truly love when we are grilling someone on the witness stand or strapping them into the electric chair?

Judging is some serious business. When we judge, we decide that we are God. We decide that we are better than He. We decide that we know more than He knows. There are some problems with that, besides the fact that we are NOT God. All we can see are the actions, the words and the results of that person. While those can be very damning, there is something missing. And that something is very large. That is the heart of the defendant. We cannot see, no matter how well we know them, what their motivations were. Even if we spent days, weeks or even years trying to learn their heart, we would never understand them as their Maker does.

The basic reason for this can be found in the Book of Genesis. The story of the Tower of Babel. When we all speak the same language, when we all think the same, we can make the decision that there is no need for God. So He introduced languages to the builders. It was quite disastrous at the time, but something beautiful (and frustrating) came out of it. We found that we need a Mediator. And who better than our Lord?

So the next time that car cuts you off on the interstate, pause. They may be rushing to a loved one's side. The next time your office manager speaks sharply, pause. They may have just received bad news. The next time a dear friend doesn't notice your pain, pause. They may be in pain themselves. Ask Him to see through His Eyes. Have you taken the time to hear the heart of the defendant? Have you taken the time to put yourselves in their place? Be quick to listen and very slow to judge.

Fighting the Inevitable

18 On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."
19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead."
20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"
22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

2 Samuel 12:18-23

David knew that this child was going to die. Nathan, the prophet, had told him that because of his repentance, David would live, but his son would die. Even so, when the boy became ill, David fasted and prayed. Why did he fight it? Then, why did he not grieve afterward? So many times, I wish that the writers of the Bible would give me more information. I want to know how David felt in the days, weeks, months after his son died. How did he feel and act on the anniversary of his little boy's birth and death? We won't know this side of Heaven. But I still wonder.

I have fought the inevitable. For a year and a half, I grasped at straws, pretended not to hear my doctor when he used the word hysterectomy. I tried to bargain my way out of infertility. Then I stopped fighting. I gave up what I had always wanted and always believed would be my future. Are there moments when I grieve? Absolutely. Do I believe that this was God's road for me? Absolutely.

So, is there something wrong with fighting the inevitable? I don't think so. Without hope, how can we survive? Didn't Jesus, Himself, ask for some other way moments before He was taken by the Roman soldiers? The God we serve is not threatened by our fears, our anger and our tears. In other words, He is not threatened by our fighting. We cannot see our futures, but He can. We cannot see around the bend of our road. But He can.

There were many people in the Bible whose prayers, fasting and cries moved the heart of God. Moses, Jonah, Hannah. Find their stories. Read them. Learn from them. Fight the inevitable. You never know when it isn't inevitable.