like a child.

As a child, we are told many things that are not true. Most adults would say that these things aren't exactly lies, but if everything is either a lie or the truth, we definitely get lied to a lot. Just to name a few fairly common "encouraged misconceptions" for children... Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy... swallowing a watermelon seed will make one grow in your belly, not taking a bath will make grass grow from the dirt on your arms, etc. We all know the stories, the ones that we eventually find out are untrue and then have complete meltdowns in our parent's room over [or maybe that was just me, but whatev].

the beckman kids! 1996

As a child in the Beckman household, I was led to believe some extra things that were, as far as I know, specific to our family. Some of you have heard me say them before, and some of you have even had the sad task of breaking the truth to me. For example.. my Dad always told us that if we opened the car door while we were going down the road [no matter what road or how fast], our entire seat would get sucked out of the car. If we ate our crust from every sandwich, we would be able to whistle. And if we ate all of our carrots, we would never need glasses [which is clearly untrue because I have eaten every carrot ever put in front of me and have been wearing glasses since 5th grade!].

The point of these random examples is not so much that our parents told us things that weren't exactly true, but rather that we believed them. No questions asked really, we just believed whatever they said, because we trusted them. All my life, I have been hearing this phrase "Faith like a child". What does this meannnn?? I have asked that numerous times. Innocent faith, pure faith, childlike faith. These were the only explanations I could muster, and they really don't explain anything! Today as I read in Luke 18, something just clicked! It was like I was a horse with blinders on tied to an Amish buggy, and all of a sudden the blinders disappeared and I could see things that I have never seen before.

Luke 18:17 reads "Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." To have faith like a child, we must simply accept all that Jesus says and commands, no questions asked, because we trust Him. Even when we read in the Word the most outrageous things, or when [as has happened repeatedly to me as of late] the Lord tells us to do something that looks totally crazy to us, we must simply do it and believe it is right because He is the one who is saying it. Similar, I now see, to the way that I never even thought that it might be a possibility that I could open my car door while in motion and remain safely inside the car. We must believe, as innocently and purely and unwaveringly, as children do.