The Faith of a Child

We only knew each other for about five minutes, but we were already best friends. The only communication we had was my asking her what her name was, and she responded with a twenty-five syllable name in spanish that I could not repeat back to you if I tried. All I did was blow some bubbles for her and read her a book, but those simple gifts of kindness meant the world to her because after we had been playing for a while longer in the hot sun, she crawled up in my lap and just sat there. We did not really talk, and whenever we tried to understand each other's language, we both failed miserably and ended up in a fit of laughter. Once it was time to say goodbye, she gave me the biggest, sweetest hug. As the van drove away from her tiny school tucked away in the mountains, I waved until I could see my little friend no longer.

The children here in Nicaragua have a supply of love that is deeper than the valleys that cover their landscape. They may not have clean hair or new shoes, but they have loving hearts and the willingness to pour it out on everyone that takes the time to love them in return. I am so thankful for my little friend, even though I do not know her name or speak her language, because she taught me a lesson about faith. As I held her quietly in my arms, I thought about Jesus when He said, "Let the little children come to me...Whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me...The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these..."

I want to have faith like the little girl who snuggled up in my lap and would not let go. I want to have faith that is simple, joyful, and trusting. I long for a faith that allows me to love God unconditionally and come to Him without reservation. I want to crawl up in the lap of my Lord even if I have no idea what is going on. I do not have to understand Him, but I can always trust Him absolutely. I know that He loves me, so I love Him in return. Even though my love may be simple, it is sweet and pure. And that is all that faith really is - it is the willingness to lean into the arms of the Lord and rest awile, knowing that He is holding you and loving you securely.