Faith Like That: Faith-Filled Friday

My five year old daughter and her friends often play make-believe around the house. Many times, I have accidentally answered to her call, "Mom!" when she is actually talking to her friend who is pretending to be the mom.

It's pretty stinking cute to listen to their chatter. The, "And pretend that...", "And I will pretend this",  "You be so and so..."

Something that I've noticed also, with these conversations going at full speed amidst toy kitchens, toy furniture, toys EVERYWHERE, is that many times, God comes up too. And there is no, "Who's that?" or "Do you mind if I share?" But, I get to hear the beautiful ideas about our Creator from the mouths of babes.

Not that my daughter even knows her friends believe or don't. Not that she even really cares. It's just a part of her language, a part of her growing heart that there is God, and He is good, and He loves her no matter what.

To have faith like that. Sometimes she'll squeeze herself tight and say, "I am giving God a hug, because He's in my heart." And sometimes, out of the blue, around people who might or might not enjoy such a declaration, she exclaims, "I love Jesus so much!"

Sure, you might think that she's learned it all and it means nothing deep down. But if you were a fly on our wall, I can shamefully say that there have been many months where God was an unspoken name, where I feared the fight that might spring from mentioning Him. And so, somehow, the few and far between whispers mingled in my daughter's mind, and the breath of God has begun to blow in to her Spirit. And she knows.

She is His. That's something pretty special.

To have Faith like that.

The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs, Christ says. 

If Heaven is as joy-filled and abounding in love as my little girl shows...I just have to say, I want a Faith like that.

Have a faith-filled Friday...because Jesus loves you so much!

Keeping the Peace At What Cost?

My daughter has let her light shine around here. It has been an amazing, awkward thing. Two years ago, I would have been over-joyed, texting my husband first thing to tell him her latest "prophetess" behavior.
Two years ago.
But now, I cringe when Daddy's in the room and my little girl starts gabbing about Jesus, and Jonah, and Peter...and...every.single.thing.Christian.parents.teach.their.kids.

SIGH...................................................................................................

It's like a heating pot of water. Every mention of the latest Bible story that she learns heats up that water a few degrees, provoking a look, or a comment, or an unspoken tension. The bubbles are coming, I can feel it. And I never thought it would be easier to stuff it and ignore the fire lit in my child's heart than to fight for her chance to know.

But sadly, this morning I thought it is easier to try and ignore it now--even when my little girl gets her facts mixed up and says that Jesus walking on water is "magic" instead of a "miracle". I just laugh and eye my husband who is not too impressed. It keeps the peace around here. Funny, because not long after the latest exchange of Daddy's sarcasm and my daughter's child-like faith, I sat in Bible study and learned about the dangers of peacekeepers.

I was very nearly falling into the pit of keeping the peace at all costs. Ignoring the little girl dancing around singing about Jesus, and missing my chance to solidify her teachings. Because I just don't want that tension anymore between my husband and me.

But, at what cost?

At the cost of a sweet child's heart missing the sowing of God's lessons? At the cost of failing as the spiritual guide of my children?

The cost is too great.

After Bible study, I took my little girl by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, and I affirmed her understanding of the latest Bible story and corrected her.
"How did Jesus walk on water?" I asked.
"Magic!" She smiled.
"No. It was a miracle. And miracles are things only God can do."
I know it sunk in, because later, her daddy asked me if I taught her the difference between a miracle and magic. My daughter was informing him that she knew. ;)

I have been very careful. I try to respect my husband's hot topics like Evolution, and legend vs. truth, and I try to give my kids a chance to think for themselves and draw conclusions about different things. But there are just some things I cannot ignore, because I answer to my God first and foremost.

And, that's just the messiness of life now-a-days. It's not the pretty package our pastors teach us about love and respect. Sometimes, you have to close your eyes to the black and white, and listen to the Spirit within.

Where is respect due...to whom? My husband or my God? Tough question. And if our marriage was on the solid foundation of Christ, then this would be a whole different conversation.

Believe me, I know how important respect is in a marriage. SOOOO very important (both ways). And I certainly have much growing to do in that area even fifteen years later. But, there are just some things that respect falls short--like denying a guiding hand in my child's faith.

Can't respect that. A miracle is so much better than magic.

Waiting for our own miracle around here. And praying God's peace--not the temporal peace around this house--the Spirit's peace, no matter the circumstance. The temporal peace around here is worth a pretty penny, but not at all worth more than the faith of my children.