He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-3 (NIV)
Whats your vision of God?
Yesterday, during his message, Father John asked us that thought provoking question.
He suggested that if we could change the way we envision God, perhaps, we could change our behavior. He asked us to think about the different “God views” we had read earlier in the service. In the first reading from Exodus we saw God portrayed as a stern judge; and in the Gospel readings we saw Jesus as a Good Shepherd, and we saw God symbolized as a woman who had lost a coin, and also as a rather over indulgent, yet forgiving father in the story of the Prodigal Son.
While I have envisioned God in many different forms, something happened during the service that made me experience God from a completely new point of view.
As the service was drawing to a close, a small girl not more than three years old, managed to make her way to the aisle and proceeded to run up and down and all around casting her cares to the wind as she alluded her visibly embarrassed father who was pursuing her. She darted thru the congregation as she silently sang, YOU CAAN”T CATCH ME! Heads turned and most of us smiled as we watched the scenario play out. Some fidgeted in their seats at the audacity of that family to not have their child under control. “How dare you interrupt my time of worship!” their body language seemed to say.
After several minutes the little girls feet slowed, and as she grew tired her father caught up to her, lifted her into his arms and held her close as he took her back where she belonged.
I believe God directed those tiny feet yesterday to teach us a lesson on our view of God.
How closely our lives resemble that child, I thought. How often have we strayed from God and in that moment of freedom, run aimlessly thru life as if to say to God, “NANANANANA YOU CAAN’T CATCH ME? Around and around we go, trying to fill our soul with all the material things that the false Gods of this world have promised would make us happy. Finally, in our weariness we slow, and our hearts call out “Catch Me Daddy.” Only then is God, who has steadfastly been pursuing us, able to sweep us into his loving arms where we were meant to be all along.
Just as that visual was settling in my mind, God brought a different thought. Just suppose, he whispered, that little girl wasn’t running away from someone, but towards someone. I imagined Christ, white robe and all, laughing as he ducked in and out of the congregation calling to her, “COME AND GET ME!”
It never crossed the little girls mind that she could fall face first into the baptismal font and drowned, or that she could become lost in the crowd. She never thought for one second, that her father would not be there to save her. No, she just ran shamelessly towards her goal, her goal to be free.
Isn’t that what Christ does with us? Doesn’t he invite us everyday to leave our comfortable surroundings and chase after the dream he has put in our heart, “the prize for which he has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:14) Yet instead of chasing after God and following with reckless abandon, we concentrate on the things that could happen if we step out in faith, we clutch the things of comfort that we must forgo to live the life he wants for us. We’ve lost that child like trust to believe that God has a better plan.
What is God calling you to, today? What is he asking you to put aside so you can follow?
I pray that we may always have the faith of a child to believe what we cannot see, and that we may be humble enough to admit we cannot do it our own way, and to find joy in our dependence on God. And finally I pray, that we don’t become so caught up in our own idea of worship that we fail to see other ways God may call us to honor Him.
May we become child-like, so we too may inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Father, help me to always remember the lesson of the little girl you showed me today. Let me boldly chase after you and follow the dream you have put in my heart. And when I grow weary, help me to always remember that I can find rest in your fatherly embrace. Amen
While I have envisioned God in many different forms, something happened during the service that made me experience God from a completely new point of view.
As the service was drawing to a close, a small girl not more than three years old, managed to make her way to the aisle and proceeded to run up and down and all around casting her cares to the wind as she alluded her visibly embarrassed father who was pursuing her. She darted thru the congregation as she silently sang, YOU CAAN”T CATCH ME! Heads turned and most of us smiled as we watched the scenario play out. Some fidgeted in their seats at the audacity of that family to not have their child under control. “How dare you interrupt my time of worship!” their body language seemed to say.
After several minutes the little girls feet slowed, and as she grew tired her father caught up to her, lifted her into his arms and held her close as he took her back where she belonged.
I believe God directed those tiny feet yesterday to teach us a lesson on our view of God.
How closely our lives resemble that child, I thought. How often have we strayed from God and in that moment of freedom, run aimlessly thru life as if to say to God, “NANANANANA YOU CAAN’T CATCH ME? Around and around we go, trying to fill our soul with all the material things that the false Gods of this world have promised would make us happy. Finally, in our weariness we slow, and our hearts call out “Catch Me Daddy.” Only then is God, who has steadfastly been pursuing us, able to sweep us into his loving arms where we were meant to be all along.
Just as that visual was settling in my mind, God brought a different thought. Just suppose, he whispered, that little girl wasn’t running away from someone, but towards someone. I imagined Christ, white robe and all, laughing as he ducked in and out of the congregation calling to her, “COME AND GET ME!”
It never crossed the little girls mind that she could fall face first into the baptismal font and drowned, or that she could become lost in the crowd. She never thought for one second, that her father would not be there to save her. No, she just ran shamelessly towards her goal, her goal to be free.
Isn’t that what Christ does with us? Doesn’t he invite us everyday to leave our comfortable surroundings and chase after the dream he has put in our heart, “the prize for which he has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:14) Yet instead of chasing after God and following with reckless abandon, we concentrate on the things that could happen if we step out in faith, we clutch the things of comfort that we must forgo to live the life he wants for us. We’ve lost that child like trust to believe that God has a better plan.
What is God calling you to, today? What is he asking you to put aside so you can follow?
I pray that we may always have the faith of a child to believe what we cannot see, and that we may be humble enough to admit we cannot do it our own way, and to find joy in our dependence on God. And finally I pray, that we don’t become so caught up in our own idea of worship that we fail to see other ways God may call us to honor Him.
May we become child-like, so we too may inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Father, help me to always remember the lesson of the little girl you showed me today. Let me boldly chase after you and follow the dream you have put in my heart. And when I grow weary, help me to always remember that I can find rest in your fatherly embrace. Amen
2 comments:
Thank you Luanne for your encouragement today. Precious story! And thanks for your comment on my blog. Yes, I feel very rich indeed. Thanks for the reminder!!!
Sweet Blessings Friend.
What an amazing story! God shows us his ways every day, all we need to do is open our eyes and hearts so that we can see what He is showing us. I loved this story, thank you so much for sharing with us. Trusting God unconditionally, being like a child again, because in reality we are our Heavenly Father's children, aren't we?
Lord, thank you for showing us your LOVE!! Thank you for being Our Father! Amen!
God Bless You!
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