Years ago, I asked fifth-grade
students to prepare a list of questions to ask Jesus if He were to show up in
person the following week. I also asked groups of adults to do the same thing.
The results were startlingly different. The kids’ questions ranged from
adorable to poignant: “Will we have to sit around in robes and sing all day in
heaven? Will my puppy be in heaven? Were the whales in or out of the ark? How’s
my grandpa doing up there with You?” Almost without fail, their questions were
free from doubt that heaven existed or that God acts supernaturally.
Adults, on the other hand,
featured a completely different line of questioning: “Why do bad things happen
to good people? How do I know You’re listening to my prayers? Why is there only
one way to heaven? How could a loving God let this tragedy happen to me?”
For the most part, children live
life unfettered by the cares and sorrows that burden adults. Their faith lets
them trust God more readily. While we adults often get lost in trials and
sorrows, children retain the psalmist’s view of life—an eternal perspective
that sees the greatness of God (Ps. 8:1-2).
God can be trusted, and He longs
for us to trust Him the way children do (Matt. 18:3).
An intimate walk with God lifts our eyes from
today’s trials and into eternity’s triumphs. (RBC)
