Like Children
Helen Francis
In two of the gospels Jesus highlights the need to have a little child's attitude in order to enter the kingdom (Matthew 18:2-4 & Mark 10:13-16)
It's something I've often pondered on. What traits of a little child are helpful for us to have? In some commentaries they remark on the fact that the children in biblical times had no status whatsoever and that seems to be partly what Jesus is saying when he speaks of humility in Matt 18. He is using the example of a small child's contentment with insignificance to answer the disciples question as to who will be greatest in the kingdom.
So humility is one trait of small children but there's also trust, dependency on the parent, teachability, innocence, honesty, submission etc. It's trust that always comes to my mind as I had an extraordinary example of a child's trust in my early Christian walk:
I was newly baptised, a divorcee with two small children and living in a remote area of Scotland which was a 3 hour bus journey away from my church. It was winter and the church had an event on that I needed to be at. So I packed our cases (we were staying with friends because we couldn't travel there and back in a day)and set off with the children. However it started to snow heavily as we walked to the bus and by the time the driver reached the end of the town he discovered the police had closed the road. Being small twisty back roads over hills they felt it was too dangerous in the weather conditions. To our great disappointment he drove back to the pick up point and dropped us off. I asked him what I could do to get to my destination and he said I could try the 7am bus in the morning.
I was very doubtful about it and on the walk home I explained to the children that there was little point in getting up before 6am to get to that bus when the snow showed no signs of stopping and it was very unlikely to be going. My oldest child, age 7, looked up at me with serious eyes and said emphatically "But mummy, I have prayed about it!"
I began to repeat my explanation of how heavy the snow storm was and how it was unlikely to stop all night, only to be met by the same repeated insistence "but mummy I have prayed about it!" and I realised it would be wrong of me, in the face of such trust in God, not to try for the morning bus.
At 7am the next morning we walked back toward the bus stop, despite the fact that it had snowed most of the night and things didn't look any more hopeful. The 50 seater coach was there, with only one person on it. I asked the driver whether he was going the whole journey to my destination and his reply astounded me! "I've just been on the phone to the police to ask what the road conditions are and they have told me on no account am I to attempt it!" and then he added "so I'm going, hop in!" and that was it!
The complete trust of a small child was repaid by God with a safe 3 hour journey on treacherous snow covered roads. Despite watching other vehicles in difficulties, we had none. I learnt a lot that day and it's a miracle that will always stay with me. It's good to remind each other of the extraordinary answers to prayer we have had in our lives, and to encourage each other with them.
In Matthew 18 Jesus emphasises the need to change and become like little children and we can seem daunted by the challenge but we all began as little children with those same traits of humility and trust . It's only time spent in the world that has tarnished us with pride and doubt.
Jesus, in whom we put our trust, and who is in us through the spirit, tells us "be of good cheer I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). As I found out all those years ago, "in him all things are possible." (Matt 19:26).
