The Faith of a Child
By Danna Demetre

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Rousing a four-year old out of a deep sleep can be a challenge. It’s a challenge for me to get up and at ‘em on Sunday morning. And, this Sunday, we were running way behind schedule. I called out to my little boy as I entered his room, “Jesse, it’s time to get up, it’s Sunday. We’re going to church. Jesus is waiting!”

Jesus is waiting. It just slipped out innocently. I had no idea the impact it would have on our entire day!

The first words out of his froggy, little throat were, “He IS? Jesus is at church today?”

“Of course, sweetheart, Jesus is always at church,” I responded.

“He IS?” he replied in wonder.

“Well, yes, Jesse. Jesus is everywhere. And he especially likes to be at church. So, let’s get going or we’ll be late!”

Ten minutes later he appeared in my bathroom as I made the last few cosmetic adjustments necessary to leave the house looking bright eyed and well rested. Isn’t make up a wonderful thing?

“Jesse, why are you wearing sunglasses?” I asked.

“So, I can see Jesus better when we get to church.”

“Honey, you can’t see Jesus with your eyes…he’s in your heart.” I hoped he understood.

“But, I want to SEE Jesus!”

Oh, the challenges of explaining the spiritual dimension to little ones! All morning at church, Jesse was peeking around corners and “sleuthing” into rooms like an espionage agent trying to sneak up on Jesus. I think that he had the impression that Jesus was playing some spiritual version of hide and seek. He just couldn’t understand why Jesus would not reveal himself physically.

Our usual routine after church is a quick trip to Starbuck’s. Jesse loves the activity and his own version of a decaf mocha. As my husband and I loaded him into the back seat, he continued his quest, “Will Jesus be at Starbuck’s too, Papa? He asked.

“Well, I guess he will be if we’re there. Because, he never leaves us!” we answered and hoped this fact didn’t get out to the coffee bean giant. We could just see some celestial advertisement popping up with Jesus as the ultimate celebrity endorsement!

After coffee, we took a quick jaunt into the local drug store before heading home. “Is Jesus here, too?” Jesse asked again. We continued to try our best to explain that Jesus is always with us because we have asked him into our lives. Jesse said, “I know Jesus is in my heart. But, can I pull him out from under my bones?”

In a cynical world, it is so refreshing to watch the innocent discovery of a child seeking spiritual truth. As adults, we become desensitized to the miracles of God. The technology of television, movies and computers has dulled our senses to the real miracles of life. We grew up watching shows like I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched and movies like Son of Flubber and The Shaggy Dog. We’ve seen it all. And now the true spiritual dimension and miracles of the Bible are put in the same mental file cabinets often subconsciously labeled “fiction”. Our minds have difficulty conceiving the intangible unless we get some spiritual help.

The Bible says that we will find God when we seek him with all of our hearts. He is real. He is tangible. No, not with our physical senses. But his Spirit will connect with ours when we seek him with faith like a child. Jesus said that anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Luke 18:17

And so, I marveled at the faith of my curious, knee-scraped little guy, who never gave
up all day Sunday looking for Jesus. We pulled into the garage, gathered up our packages and helped Jesse out of the car when we finally got home that afternoon. He was the first of us to reach the back door into the house. Pulling it open, he yelled at the top of his little lungs, “JESUS, WE’RE HOME!”

Jesus was there waiting for us…as he always is. So, Jesse and I just plopped down on the steps leading upstairs and had a little talk with him. We told him how much we loved him for dying for our sins. We thanked him for loving us that much. We told him we could feel his presence even if we couldn’t see him. I took a little peek at Jesse during our prayer time. He had one eye open watching for Jesus.

Jesus is here for you also…can you see him with your heart? If he seems far away or intangible, just call out to him just like Jesse. And he will respond…when you have the faith of a child.

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