Having childlike faith can move an adult size mountain. We adults truly need to BE like them in all of their wonder and faith and joy and unwavering love. God even admonished us to become as little children if we want to enter into His kingdom. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 11:3) This pure faith really matters, to move the mountains set before us.
PURE GRANDCHILD LOVE
Three years ago in one of my visits with my two youngest grandchildren, (ages 5 and 3 at the time), I was reminded about what really matters most in life (and in you) – the pure faith of a child and how they process things.
My granddaughter who was 5 going on 12, had some wise insights for me about my own self. I just had to really HEAR what she was saying. First, she got real close to my face and said, “Nani, you have some white hair there!” I said, “Thanks, I know that! I gotta color it!” She replied, “Why? I like it that way. Don’t change the color.” I just laughed. Then the next day I explained about a toe surgery I was about to have to fix my feet. She said, “Why? I like your feet this way. Don’t change your toes.” I REALLY laughed that time! Without any further description, I’ll just say that one of my sons had named my dislocated toes “alien feet”. That should tell you enough information to understand why I laughed that she would be okay with them.
THEN I listened between the lines; I listened to love. She doesn’t care if I am getting older – she says we will always be best friends. My hair color, my age, my alien feet – none of it matters to her – it all adds up to just parts of the sum total of who she knows and sees me be. She doesn’t want me to change a thing about myself! That girl sees me in a way I do NOT see myself but I realized, I want to! She doesn’t see my flaws! She sees no limitations.
WHO I AM
I want to remember WHO I was before the world told me otherwise and tried to shut me down! She reminded me that my worth is not measured by my skills or talents nor lessened by my flaws. All God ever wanted from me was a simple faith that answers YES when He calls.
On my best and worst days of living out MY life, God knew exactly and precisely WHO I was. HE KNEW THEN, AND HE KNOWS NOW WHO I AM. And He has loved me all along! “The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’” (Jeremiah 31:3) He cannot love us more than He already does!
He knew me when I was covered and when I was uncovered, broken – shamed – confused – lost and struggling just to ‘become’. All I hope for, for myself, is that when all is said and done and I have closed the book on my life story, that the last words will say, “She never gave up.”
CHILDLIKE FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS
You are not defined by one or two (or more) chapters of your life that you keep re-reading with shame and regret. You are not defined by your shame and your guilt. When you can rest in His love for you like a child who rests in her father’s arms, it will revolutionize your life. You will be able to really and truly LIVE.
“And I’ve prayed prayers to heaven from my lowest place
And I have held the blessings
God, You give and take away
No matter what I have, Your grace is enough
No matter where I am, I’m standing in Your love
On the mountains, I will bow my life
To the One who set me there
In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the One who sees me there
When I’m standing on the mountain, I didn’t get there on my own
When I’m walking through the valley I know I am not alone
You’re God of the hills and valleys
And I am not alone.” (Hills And Valleys/Tauren Wells)
“Jesus replied and said, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ( Matthew 17) And as a saying goes that I read somewhere – “I have a mustard seed, and I’m not afraid to use it.” Just say YES to childlike faith, and then go move some mountains.
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