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Barren but Blessed – Trusting God with the Rest
Hi! Water
This past weekend my family took a mini vacation to my hometown, about three and a half hours away. We spent our days visiting with family and friends, swimming, exploring the zoo and swimming some more. After four hours swimming outside on the final day, I was sure the kids would sleep most of the way home.
I was wrong.
Even the child who routinely falls asleep heading to the grocery store barely closed her eyes on the trip. The trip was laden with bickering, singing, yelling, laughing and by the end, everyone was a bit slap happy.
With about thirty minutes to go, my youngest son started giggling uncontrollably and I hear him trying to talk to his brother through his giggles. Finally, he’s able to say, “Cameron, that sign said “Hi! water”.
At this point, I’m now giggling uncontrollably. I didn’t have the heart to tell him the sign actually said “High Water”, not “Hi! water”. His inflection was so adorable and he genuinely thought we were saying hello to the water, not being warned of a possible danger.
His proclamation made me think about God’s desire for us to have childlike faith. Not immature faith, but the faith of a child who believes they are well taken care of and safe. My son didn’t perceive that sign as a warning because he felt safe. In his eyes, he was protected and there was no other explanation than to say hello to the water.
Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
It made me realize that I need to say hi to the water more often. I need to revel in the safety God promises, embrace the moment and not worry over the possible problems. It’s likely we all do.
Start today. Embrace your childlike faith and shout a Hello! to the water.
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