Faith like a child sometimes starts with taking steps like a child
A couple nights ago I was sitting in a house with other people who wanted to see change for the current circumstances in our lives. We wanted to see hope rise and faith grow larger than what we see happening around us.
We wanted to believe that greater things can happen than what our feelings tell us and greater than the murmurings of dry and withered dreams. We were praying for faith like a child.
Music filled the room as we rested in the lyrics, melodies, the depth of the song...and I was surprised by the intensity of the presence of God there. Then, the beat started to quicken.
As I opened my eyes, a little girl (the daughter of the owner of the house) was wandering about and she started to dance. She was probably around a year and a half years old and she was wiggling side to side, bouncing her bum up and down as she bent her knees and stomping her chubby little legs a foot at a time. So caught up in watching this little girl, she was not completely confident in her steps, or balance, but delighted in trying to dance and in having fun, I just kept watching and cheering her on.
She bobbled her head side to side. She clapped her tiny hands and waved her arms up and down. She went to and fro from the room. And over and over, she would do this.
In a moment, I decided to join her.
Why?
Not completely sure at the time.
Maybe it was because I wanted to encourage her.
Maybe because she was encouraging me.
Maybe, I wanted to practice faith like a child... and to practice, then take steps like a child.
Part of me wanted to grow in wonder and delight.
On a side note, I don't think wonder is something that has to be lost as we grow older.
Wonder isn't some made up thing like fairy tales or myths.
But maybe as we grow older, we tell ourselves this is something to put away with childish things.
I beg to differ.
Getting to know God is wonderful. He is a wonderful God.
I don't think most of us know what that really means...I mean, I don't... not fully anyway, but I have seen glimpses, amazing beautiful glimpses of how wonder-full God is and His ways, and His love. It really makes you wonder... yet know fully He's who He really says He is!
Something that I've been thinking about these days, is that as a child of God, I never graduate from being His child. Don't get me wrong, I understand that I mature and grow in faith, but that still doesn't take away the fact that God is eternally my Father and I am his child.
Even though He is also eternally King, and eternally creator & judge, that doesn't change the fact that He desires me to have faith like a child (Matt 18.) This is pretty comforting, because I don't have to "clean myself up" before approaching him. I don't have to have all the "adult answers" to impress him and show him how "grown up" I am. But in real heartfelt honesty, I can be me...and ask for help, or tell him how I feel or even be silly...like a little child trusts her good and loving father.
Anyway, getting back to the dancing little girl. I decided to dance and dance and dance with the little girl and just give myself permission to be a child... of God. And you know what?
It was changing my perspective.
It was letting hope rise within me
and coupling God's presence with His joy.
Yes, it was also releasing endorphins too, but I believe that's how God made our bodies to be!
And by the way, that little girl can dance! (And so can I! Haha!)
It's easy to have knowledge in your head... like "We need to have child-like faith," and camp out on that philosophical, theological, esoterical (?) debate of what that should look like... But you really don't know, until you try... and see where God meets you there. Do I know what it means to take steps like a child? I'm probably just scratching the surface. I'm sure it means something different for me than for you, but the main point is... just start.
And I end with some of the lyrics from Jars of Clay's, "Faith like a Child"
We wanted to believe that greater things can happen than what our feelings tell us and greater than the murmurings of dry and withered dreams. We were praying for faith like a child.
Music filled the room as we rested in the lyrics, melodies, the depth of the song...and I was surprised by the intensity of the presence of God there. Then, the beat started to quicken.
As I opened my eyes, a little girl (the daughter of the owner of the house) was wandering about and she started to dance. She was probably around a year and a half years old and she was wiggling side to side, bouncing her bum up and down as she bent her knees and stomping her chubby little legs a foot at a time. So caught up in watching this little girl, she was not completely confident in her steps, or balance, but delighted in trying to dance and in having fun, I just kept watching and cheering her on.
She bobbled her head side to side. She clapped her tiny hands and waved her arms up and down. She went to and fro from the room. And over and over, she would do this.
In a moment, I decided to join her.
Why?
Not completely sure at the time.
Maybe it was because I wanted to encourage her.
Maybe because she was encouraging me.
Maybe, I wanted to practice faith like a child... and to practice, then take steps like a child.
Part of me wanted to grow in wonder and delight.
On a side note, I don't think wonder is something that has to be lost as we grow older.
Wonder isn't some made up thing like fairy tales or myths.
But maybe as we grow older, we tell ourselves this is something to put away with childish things.
I beg to differ.
Getting to know God is wonderful. He is a wonderful God.
I don't think most of us know what that really means...I mean, I don't... not fully anyway, but I have seen glimpses, amazing beautiful glimpses of how wonder-full God is and His ways, and His love. It really makes you wonder... yet know fully He's who He really says He is!
Something that I've been thinking about these days, is that as a child of God, I never graduate from being His child. Don't get me wrong, I understand that I mature and grow in faith, but that still doesn't take away the fact that God is eternally my Father and I am his child.
Even though He is also eternally King, and eternally creator & judge, that doesn't change the fact that He desires me to have faith like a child (Matt 18.) This is pretty comforting, because I don't have to "clean myself up" before approaching him. I don't have to have all the "adult answers" to impress him and show him how "grown up" I am. But in real heartfelt honesty, I can be me...and ask for help, or tell him how I feel or even be silly...like a little child trusts her good and loving father.
Anyway, getting back to the dancing little girl. I decided to dance and dance and dance with the little girl and just give myself permission to be a child... of God. And you know what?
It was changing my perspective.
It was letting hope rise within me
and coupling God's presence with His joy.
Yes, it was also releasing endorphins too, but I believe that's how God made our bodies to be!
And by the way, that little girl can dance! (And so can I! Haha!)
It's easy to have knowledge in your head... like "We need to have child-like faith," and camp out on that philosophical, theological, esoterical (?) debate of what that should look like... But you really don't know, until you try... and see where God meets you there. Do I know what it means to take steps like a child? I'm probably just scratching the surface. I'm sure it means something different for me than for you, but the main point is... just start.
And I end with some of the lyrics from Jars of Clay's, "Faith like a Child"
They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With faith like a child
And send them crashing to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With faith like a child
They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child
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