FAITH OF A CHILD

 

Dear Nathan,

Focus in on the lower right corner of this picture and you will see a little boy epitomizing faith.

 

Cocooned in a cave-like space below the hems of sheltering coats of surrounding adults, this little guy was present in his moment.  Indifferent to the noise of the excited crowd, the peaceful task of a child embodied ultimate spirituality: a pure faith.

I was people watching from my place in the Stand-By line for AWAITED, a Christmas production at Crossroads, Cincinnati. The rest of the festive crowd milled around the atrium, waiting for the opening of the doors to the twelve hundred seating capacity auditorium.

Then this image, that of a little boy, caught my attention with a poignancy which immediately burned its way into my being.

It was an image of the quiet concentration of a son, portraying acceptance of his current circumstance: that of waiting. A small boy’s trust in his parent’s love and provision without the need of his constant surveillance and instructions.  No anxiety regarding his parents’ ability or willingness to meet his needs for loving care not only in this his present, but for his future moments as well.

On awaking and remembering a little boy’s trust, I ponder this my present moment and all those of my recent past.

• Do I trust my Heavenly Father with both my waiting experiences and the more active times along my life’s journey?
• Do I trust him to see to my circumstances and needs without my surveillance and instructions of how he should proceed?
• Am I present in my here and now as was this little boy?

 

Jesus “called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:2-4 NIV).

Nathan, this is how I lovingly remember our final conversation. You trustingly committed your moments here on earth and your future in heaven into your Father God’s care.

I was going to say  I “strive for that same faith”.  But guess it is more accurate to say, “rest with the faith of a child in the Father”.

Love, Mom