It’s fun to get a child to smile. It’s even better to get them to laugh! I have always loved children, and one of my favorite ways to make them smile is by turning myself into a human carnival ride. I grab their legs and back, turning them upside down, and then swing them up to my shoulder. Each time I do it, they come back up with a smile a mile wide. Of course, this activity makes my wife nervous; she is afraid the child will get hurt. She doesn’t trust that I’m holding them tightly enough to keep them from falling. But the kids and I love it!
Children instinctively trust and believe that adults know what’s best for them. This built-in, simple faith helps them feel nurtured and protected and they accept this concept without question. They have no concept of danger in the world, either – their minds are still innocent and pure. What happens when a child gets a scrape or cut? They run to their mother or father to “kiss and make it better.” Once that happens, the child’s tears miraculously stop and he or she feels better. Does a kiss really have the power to heal? Or does the child innocently trust that if his parent says kissing it will make it better, then it does?
As adults, it’s a lot more difficult to trust in the same way because we think WE know what’s best for us. We think we are capable of taking care of ourselves with no help from God. When we fully begin to trust God is often when everything else we have turned to has failed and we experience for ourselves how He works in the difficult seasons of our lives.
God desires you to trust Him with the simplicity and humility of a child. Do you rest in knowing that you are always safe in His loving arms? No matter what direction your life takes, He knows what’s best for you and will always hold you tight. He will comfort you and give you peace as long as you trust Him and let Him direct your life. And He is faithful – He will never let you fall.
Learn more about discovering a childlike faith that will bring you closer in your walk with God in my book Jesus Take the Wheel: 7 Keys to a Transformed Life with God.
Go to my website, www.letjesustakethewheel.com for more information, including testimonials, videos and resources for further study.
