The simple faith of a child

God used Bella this afternoon to remind me of his faithfulness and sovereignty. Kyle took the youth guys camping for their "Dude Trip" after church today, so it's just me and Bella for a few days. As we were watching the Astros game this afternoon and Bella was getting ready for her nap, she said she wanted to say her "night-night prayers." She's been praying for our friend Lacey who is pregnant and due next month. She was put on bedrest a few weeks ago so we've been praying every night for God to help Lacey feel better and for Hallie (her baby) to be safe and healthy. Bella asked me to pray first so I prayed and asking God just that, for Lacey to feel better and for Hallie to continue to be healthy and grow the way she should. After I prayed Bella just floored me when she simply prayed "Thank you God for Lacey and Hallie and for making Ms. Lacey feel better and for keeping them safe." I'm sure in her mind, she was saying the same thing I did, but the blind faith in that simple statement really hit me.

We so often ask God for things and tell Him how we want things to be. If we are honest with ourselves most of our prayers are asking and telling God how we think things should be. How many times do we thank God for something, believing that He will do it? We thank Him after the fact when things turn out the way we want them to, that's the easy part. I know I'm guilty so many times of praying, even begging God for things/circumstances to change/healing, but in the back of my mind doubting He's really going to answer. I need to go back to that faith of the little child, praying to God, thanking Him for something that hasn't yet come, believing He's going to be faithful to work everything together for good.

I've been reminded this week again of the fragility of life and how it just seems sometimes that God's timing and plans don't make sense in our finite, sinful existence. Bella's prayer this afternoon was a small reminder that He is in control and we can have faith in His strength and His ability to faithfully work all things together for His good, even when we don't always understand. Some things we'll never understand this side of heaven, but God in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty does and he brings forth beauty from ashes, good from the situations in life that seem hopeless and unbearable.

I should also note that after Bella prayed for Lacey and Hallie she said "Thank you God for Puma and for making him better so he can play for the Astros again!" That's my girl! :-)

I'll leave you with Mark 10: 13-16 in the Message.

The 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.