Tuesday, August
29, 2017
O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell
of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. Psalm 8:1-2(NLT)
It is an
amazing fact that cannot be denied; children have an incredibly powerful effect
on adults! How undeniable that when a child
enters your life, no matter what your upbringing, formal training, or chosen
method of parenting, you will
change! And you will eat some of the
words you previously uttered! Those
words include, I’ll never do what
my parents did, and my
kid will never…and the list goes on.
Most everything
gets turned upside down when that first child shows up; daily routines,
priorities, and budgets have a way of creating life as we never knew it! No matter how strong you thought you were, one look
into that new daughter’s wide-open, innocent eyes turns your legs into
jelly. Hearing your baby boy’s giggle
for the first time will have Mr.
Tough Guy trying hard to swallow that lump in his throat. And someday, totally unexpected, that child
will say something at just the right time, that will humble you and change your
life in a way you never thought possible.
I never saw
it coming.
One day in
the big city of McIntosh, Florida (population 257), Elizabeth and the preacher were
discussing how in the world we were going to stretch the money thin enough to
last through the month. We’ve always had
a struggle with staying out of the red, but a few medical bills, car repairs
and need for kid’s school clothes had taken us to a record high point of
frustration; the math was frightening, and neither of us had an idea how we
would keep Brownworth family solvent.
That’s when
the Psalmist showed up.
I’ve never been shot with a canon, kicked by a mule, or decked by Muhammad Ali, but those would’ve been minor compared to being taught by a three year old that the strength and glory of God has got all my troubles and worries covered.
Now, I was
the pastor, harbinger of Godly wisdom and spiritual insight. I was the Dad, the leader of our little
clan. I was the one with a seminary
degree…but it took a preschooler to remind me of the basics of faithful
action. I had said a prayer over our finances, but Carrie took the steps of faith in action, offering me
all she had because she loved me. And in
doing so, she was proclaiming in childlike faith the majestic strength and
wonder of God. I guess I'd forgotten what the old Gospel song says: Little is much when God is in it!
There is a
difference between being childish
and childlike; childish
means making selfish and immature decisions, while childlike indicates faithful
trust. The former, taken as a lifestyle
leads to a life of sin and separation from God.
The latter, faithful trust of an open pudgy hand extended towards God,
is the entry door to the Kingdom!
For You Today
If you’ve
been wondering too much about the big stuff, and not getting any answers, I
would advise you to go play with a three year old…and pay close attention!
You chew on
that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
She us still that precious child!Love you all!
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