The Faith of a Child

A few nights ago, I sat with my little girl in my lap reading her Bible Promise book.

"Mama? My heart is bad.  It is bad inside me."

I was shocked.  Where had she ever heard that?  

She must have decided it on her own.

"Do you want a good heart, sweetie?  

Do you want Jesus to make it clean?"

"Yes."  She was sincere.  Her brown eyes wide.

Daddy came across the room.  He led her in a short and simple prayer.  

Her curly head bowed, her eyes shut tightly, 

her sweet lisp repeating each word carefully.

I kept thinking, "What is happening?  She's only two!"

As I watched, I spoke to the same One,

"Thank you,"  my heart whispered,

"For so many prayers are answered this day."

We have taught our daughter about Jesus 

for the same reason we teach her to hold our hand in the parking lot, 

not to play with knives, not to get to close to the edge of our pond.  

It means the difference between life and death.

But even more than that, when the other earthly precautions fail,

(for no precaution can escape death)

her eternal life will be secure.  

Through the simple faith and prayer of a child.

Some say children cannot understand at this age, 

their minds unable to grasp every intricacy of the Gospel story.  

But in all honesty, I am staggered by the complexities myself 

and have yet to meet anyone that has grasped it in its entirety.

For love this deep and justice this strong is more than our frail human capabilities can comprehend.

But even a small baby can understand love.

And the Holy Spirit has dwelt within a new born child (Luke 1:15),

It is a simple understanding, but I will not negate the faith of my child.  

Perhaps, it is an even purer faith than that of her elders, 

often muddied by the questions, the trials and uncertainties of life.

For Jesus is as real to her as the sun,

which she doesn't understand completely,

but she knows its name and dances in it's rays daily.