Like a Little Child

Illustration copyright 2014, Used with Permission

When I tell my son that tomorrow morning I will take him out to ride his bike, there is no question in his mind that that is exactly what is going to happen. If tomorrow morning we wake to torrential thunderstorms and lightning, he will come up to me, sporting a big, toothy grin, his bike helmet already strapped on crookedly, and say with absolutely no awareness of the irony, "Don't forget, Dad, we're going for a bike ride this morning!"

What Dad says is law. My son takes me at my word. (Living in the midwest I have learned to say, "Weather permitting, we will do such and such...")

He should be able to take me at my word. He shouldn't have to doubt what I say. But of course, I am a human being, and my word stands on shaky ground in spite of my best intentions. There are factors that make it so: circumstances I have no control over, other people, and my own sin.

My son trusts me. He believes that my word has power to effect what it speaks. He is very young and he will come to know my power is meager at best. But today, if Dad says it, it will be. (The same is true for Mom, incidentally.)

But there is a Father whose Word does not stand on shaky ground. His Word is something you can take to the bank, as they say. You can rely on it, count on it, entrust your very life to it.

One of the beautiful attributes of a child is this ability to trust. That is why it is such a despicable crime to harm a child. In their normal state, small children trust. A small child truly trusts his parents. He is able to walk freely in confidence in the glory of the words of Mom and Dad, and for the most part, a child is unencumbered by fears that their promises will fall through. A small child doesn't normally think things such as, "What if Mom dies in a car accident before the day at the park she promised me." He doesn't worry, "What if Dad is struck down by a fatal heart attack before that promised football toss in the backyard."

We adults tend to distrust just about everything. We constantly question and fret. We say, "Yeah, when is this going to fall apart on me? When is the bottom going to collapse beneath my feet? This can't last!" Of course, this is true to varying degrees, depending on one's personality and past experiences and the depth of the wounds caused by lies and broken promises throughout one's life.

Even with God, we doubt. We question. We worry. What if He drops the ball and forgets about me? What if He doesn't understand how important this is to me? What if His plans for me fall way short of my desires, and even my needs?

Jesus said to His disciples, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3-4, NABRE).

The virtue of humility enables us to see God's perfection in contrast to our imperfection, His omnipotence compared to our powerlessness. Humility recognizes God's perfect goodness. Humility is able to pray Paul's words, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Ro. 8:28, NABRE).

In his book, Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart, Fr. Jacques Philippe basically asks the question, "Is God not trustworthy? Is His Word not good enough? Has He not shown His love convincingly?"

These questions are breathtakingly humbling. Reading the book, to be honest, has been for me a kick in the gut.

Every time I fail to trust in the Lord, when I turn to worry and fear, I am saying, by my thoughts and actions, "Jesus, I don't trust in You."

As Father Philippe reminds us, that distrust is rooted in the Fall, and it takes a lifetime to be reeducated in trust. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that in His time in the desert immediately following His baptism by John, Our Lord was tempted by Satan, who was "seeking to compromise his filial attitude toward God" (CCC, no. 538). Satan tried to get Jesus to doubt the Father and His love. He tries to do the same to us, every day. With Jesus, Satan could not succeed; with us, he has shown great success. How often we doubt the Father's love for us.

Lord Jesus, give me the heart of a child. Help me to place all my trust in You. Your Word stands forever. Your Word is my hope. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.