The Faith of a Child

Along the Journey

If you are a mom, like I am, you probably question your abilities as a parent on a regular basis. I question the decisions I make, the example I am setting, the station on my radio, the meals that I prepare, etc. I especially worry about what Nick watches on television. Even some of the shows that are meant to be "family friendly" are not good examples of Godly homes. The kids are lying to their parents; the parents are lying to each other, etc., and it is all meant for laughs. Well... I don't think it's funny at all. Even the stuff on the Discovery Channel (Nick's favorite channel) concerns me. There are so many documentaries that express an opinion about where things came from that differ from what we know to be true. Do I not allow Nick to watch the documentaries that facinate him for fear that they may challenge his faith?

I remember a show that aired on The Discovery Channel called "Before the Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth." They were showing the deep ocean a gazzilion years ago. Evidently there were prehistoric fish and sharks with big scary teeth that swallowed up the smaller fish. To escape the terrors of the deep, some of the fish simply walked out of the ocean and evolved into land creatures and then eventually into humans. Knowing Nick's scientific mind, I started to panic. I braced myself for the questions that I just knew would follow. Instead, Nick said, "Who comes up with this stuff? Did some fish just decide to stay in the ocean and remain shark bait?" Then he grabbed the remote control and pulled up the description of the show. He said, "They are calling this a documentary? It looks more like fantasy to me. If we came from fish - why is the ocean still full of them and why can't we survive in the water?"

I was dumbfounded! Perhaps sometimes I need to be less concerned with what I may be teaching Nick and focus on what he may be teaching me. With just a few comments about a television show, Nick showed me that his faith just IS. There were no questions because he knows that he knows that he knows.

Ah... the faith of a child (or a teenager!). Jesus wants us to come to Him with the faith of a child and that's exactly what Nick lived out in front of me. Thank's, Nick, for setting a good example for your mom!

To Think About: In today's society, it is more important than ever to set Godly examples for our kids. The stuff on the radio, television, billboards, magazines, etc are frightening but we can help them to make better choices and we can set a good example by making better choices ourselves. Sometimes, though, maybe we should pay attention to what kids can teach us. Whether or not you have children of your own, observe the kids around you this week and see how many things you can learn from them. See if the faith of a child rubs off!

Sweet Blessings,
LeAnn (Nick's Mom)