The Faith of a Child

When I was a child
God was there with me,
Watching over family,
Providing all our needs.
We had our share of trials,
Though His grace was new each day,
Trusting Him came easy,
With the faith of a child.

With the faith of a child,
You focus on His face.
With the faith of a child,
You see unending grace.
Tightly holding to His hand,
Trusting Him in every mile,
Oh, Lord, please give me,
The faith of a child once again.

I am older now,
I see things differently.
The voices all around me,
Say things are not the same,
But my God never changes,
The Word of Gods stands true,
I just need to trust Him,
With the faith of a child.

With the faith of a child,
You focus on His face.
With the faith of a child,
You see unending grace.
Tightly holding to His hand,
Trusting Him in every mile,
Oh, Lord, please give me,
The faith of a child once again.

     I wrote those words to a song about a year ago, during one of my many trips up to Vermont to see my dad as he battled cancer. I used those long hours of alone time to pray and write songs, pleading with God to move on behalf of my dad. There were times when I did not know what to pray and so from my heart poured my deepest words and thoughts into songs like this one - if only I could have the faith that I had as a child. It seemed so easy back then - strong and simple. All I had to do was ask my Heavenly Father and He would show me His mighty hand in my life. Looking back now I see the answers did not always come right away, but there was always an answer. My child-like faith would press in and reach the very throne of God, and I saw great answers to prayer. There was the time when our cat ran away and we did not see her for months. I prayed every single night before bed that she would return. Three months later a neighbor saw a strange cat in their yard and called us. We called to the kitty and she walked out of the woods, sickly and scrawny, but alive. The amazing thing was that the neighbor told us that was not the cat they had seen before. It was God answering my prayer.
     Then there was the time when God took away the warts on my hands. I had heard a testimony of a young man who had warts and he had prayed for God to dry them up and God did. So, I stepped out in faith and said, "Lord, if You can do it for this guy, please do it for me." I prayed He would dry them up at the roots and make them all die, like He had done to that fig tree. Four months later I looked at my hands all the warts were turning brown and were drying up. Within a week my hands were clean and soft like baby skin. I knew that was God answering my prayer.
     God seems to listen to children pray. They have moldable hearts and such an innocence to them. I love listening to my class pray every morning. The things they ask to pray about are sometimes silly, but most of the time they are asking from a real desire to change things, or to see something happen in their family. I have one little girl who prays that she can go to Madagascar to see the missionaries there, and that the trip will be free for her and not cost her family a thing. Every day she prays for this and I am excited to see what God will do with that prayer. Who knows? Maybe one day she will get to go be a missionary there herself!
     When I was very young I remember seeing white flashes go by the dining room window. I would tell my mom that I had seen an angel go by. I am not sure if she believed me, but I can still see those flashes in my mind and to this day I still believe they were angel wings going past. I yearn to have that innocent faith back. The heart that I had as a child. As long as Peter was looking at Jesus walking toward him on the water, Peter was not afraid. He kept his eyes on the Saviour's face and remained standing strong. It was when he looked away that he sunk deep in the waters boiling around him. I need to refocus my gaze and look upward. I want to stop floundering in the sea of doubt and unbelief. I want to pray and KNOW that He will hear me again. I want these voices all around me to quiet down so I can focus on the Saviour, to feel His hand tightly holding to mine, and hear His voice say, "Peace be still."  May this new year bring fresh peace and faith inside all of our hearts that will grow to the depths that a child knows...and beyond.

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