Tonight we observed the Lord's Supper at church. As the bread and juice were being passed, I was quietly explaining to my sons that they stood for Jesus' body and His blood that He shed for us. I just happened to be holding my youngest son in my arms and my thoughts drifted to the fact that this son that I held was given to me by God. If someone were to ask me, "How do you personally know that God exists and that He is good?" I could point to my second son and daughter. As I held him and thought of the bond that we have, nothing can explain it except that it is from God. You see, I did not birth my son. Actually I did not even meet him or know that he existed until he was almost three years old. But our God is amazing. And when I hold my son, I have no doubt that God has entrusted this amazing little person to me to love and raise in equal amounts to the children that I bore. I love him so much. And the fact that I could possibly love him that much proves to me that my God is real and that my God is good.
On the flip side of that, as I was explaining to them about the symbolism of the bread and juice, I commented that Jesus died on the cross for each of us, because He loves us. It was immediately apparent that my six year old couldn't completely grasp that concept yet, but for my five year old, it was different. I wasn't telling him anything that he didn't already know. There was no doubt in his mind that Jesus loves him and that God is good. I have heard many times that a person grows closest to God during trials and times of need. I know that when I am going through trying times of my own, that is usually when I can feel God's presence the most. Undoubtedly there have been times in his life already that he has needed God and God has shown himself faithful. Perhaps when he did not have an earthly father who would love and protect him, his Heavenly Father stepped in and filled the gap personally. What I know for sure is that he knows that God exists because he has seen Him and His goodness in his own life. If people were equipped with faith meters, his would shoot out the top! I don't even know how to explain his faith in words; I just know that his faith and his understanding of God's love is beyond his years.
And as for my six year old, I trust that the time will come when he will understand how much God loves him, as well. For now, he is still safely nestled inside the bubble of love and protection that we, his parents, have provided since birth. He has yet to see or experience the uglies of the fallen world that we live in. But I trust that when the time comes that He needs God's love and protection first-hand, He will also find our God faithful and good.
