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She fought the wiggles, tried her best to stay still as I formed her slightly damp hair into braids. And the questions came.
They come at the most unexpected times, I’m learning. Kids don’t often let the deep and heady questions spill out when parents are ready to give 100% attention. No, they come out slowly in the quiet corners of the room, when we are busy, distracted, and trying to get their hair to submit itself into a decent pair of french braids.
How come God never talks to me, mama?
She is five. She wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t care, right? Some adults go half their lives (longer?) without ever taking the time to think through this, to ask this question. She speaks with the purest sense of wonder, just as she might ask why the sky is blue or why the Shar-Pei has so many wrinkles.
And I don’t want to mess it up – this small in-road to her heart, this delicate foundation she is building. I want to say all the right things and make it age appropriate. I don’t want to minimize God or marginalize her understanding, yet I need baby steps and God, help me. I have about 60 seconds to nail this before I’ve lost her attention completely.
This is the truth of parenting, isn’t it? You never know when those moments are coming, you aren’t always prepared when they do come and you earnestly want to get them right. What a gift that His power is made perfect in my weakness because I just don’t see how I could possibly be fit for the task otherwise.
So wrapped in the tightest package I can offer, whittling down the words and making the most of the captivated seconds she is giving me, I tell her how God speaks through creation. Those hawks hovering in the draw below our house – they are speaking His name!
I tell her how God speaks to us through His word – a letter written straight to our hearts. I tell her how He speaks through Jesus and how when Jesus ascended into heaven He told us he was leaving us a Helper, the Holy Spirit. I tell her hearing God speak is often about being quiet enough to listen, having faith enough to believe it’s Him and being brave enough to obey.
Note: Looking for a great book to help teach your children apologetics? This one here
has been an excellent tool for our family! We’ve found it horough yet practical and easily understood by elementary to middle school children.
A day or two later she came to me in a passion. The hawks were shrieking something crazy. What might they be saying? We stopped our doing and focused on what was important in that moment. We layed ourselves out on the deck, eyes fixed on the sky, and listened in awe. Were they fighting or just chatting it up a bit? Were they praising? Is that even possible? And those crows a cawing, what was that all about anyway? And that little sparrow a tweeting. What might he be chirping about?
I have far more questions than answers for this girl, but the very least I can do is help her see God in all of it. I want to stir in her a passion to see his order and authority. I want to fan the smallest flame of hunger to understand His sovereignty and providence. I want her to see Him in ways she never imagined possible, ways we miss in our busy and distracted lives, ways all of creation is speaking His name if we are willing to just stop and listen.
Maybe hearing God speak looks more like tuning our ears and turning our distracted hearts toward Him, actually seeing the vibrant displays of His splendor in our lives. As adults we become so affected, so complacent. What a gift it is to see God through the eyes of a five year old, to be reminded what honest curiosity looks like and to be afforded the opportunity to seek Him more diligently because of it.
The truth is, I’m still learning right along with her.
Forever learning, faithfully listening and bravely obeying.
Wow! Awesome posts from everyone. Mrs. Katie, I am married with no children. So no experiences yet, about questions from my own, but I want to be some what prepared if it was anyone else’s child. (Seasoned or unseasoned) But, lately I have been trying to figure out the same question your daughter has asked, and God has been showing me little by little. All I have been doing is writing down everything that comes to my mind to help me see it clearer. One last thing: He gets me to a point where I lose my favorite “whatever” and I begin searching, and searching after it until I get tired or until I find it. Through it, I know He is speaking saying “This is how you need to seek after Me” until I find Him! It’s So Amazing to me, and I have yet to master this one. So keep me in prayer! Keep up with your postings bc it definitely encourages me to take more time out, be still, and listen!
Cierra, your words remind me of Jeremiah 29:13 – And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. You are a living example of this! Thank you for your encouragement. I’m honored to be praying for you. <3
Amen! That’s something… my fave scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 So excited about coming across this blog! Thanks a Bunch*
This was wonderful to read Katie. I just joined a church and looking to grow spiritually in HIM and HIM in me. I have found myself in the past trying to do so much on my own and how frustrated I would get when it didn’t happen how I expected. I’m learning to wait on God and be still so HE can do HIS work. Everything is on HIS time!
Beautiful, Monah! Get yourself rooted in that church; praying they will be an amazing support system to you as you grow your faith.
Thank you for this post. I have been studying prayer over the past couple of years and I have had a hard time finding good info on the listening side of things. I am working on a series on prayer. I would love to link back to this post. Would that be ok? Thank you once again!
Of course, Leah. It’s a bit of an intimidating topic to broach but, I’m sure you would agree, a very important one. Wishing you the best in your studies!
Those are sacred moments with a young one, in the most ordinary of days.
Beautifully written! This is such a struggle for me right now.
You’re not alone, Faith. I think we all struggle to quiet distractions and earnestly listen for Him, at times. It’s a worthy struggle though and thankfully, He sees our heart. Grace abounds as we work at this.
Wow, I love this post. It made me think of my two daughters and how I’m watching their foundation of faith grow. My 13 year old is finally reading her bible without us telling her to make sure do a weekly bible study and our two year old is falling in love with prayer. When we go to prayer meetings she walks to the alter and lays to the floor with her face to the ground and loudly shouts Amen God over and over. Its awesome to watch! You are a blessed momma to watch your daughter be so curious for the Lord! = )
Proud mama moments for sure, Carmen. Keep fostering that growth!
Top ten worthy for sure and certainly makes me miss Miss Brooklyn so much!!
She misses you too – particularly on Wednesdays! <3
This is beautiful! You are an amazing mama!
Thank you, Anne. Not always amazing, but always trying. 🙂
Wonderful post. So true we are always learning how to hear the Lord’s voice. It amazes me how many different ways he speaks to us.
Me too, Victoria! It’s a struggle to put that into words.
God speaks to each of us in different ways – we have to just be open enough to listen for them
And trust that it is Him. Sometimes I think discernment is the hardest part. It takes courage to believe it is Him and even more to step out in obedience.
Hi Katie,
I’ve probably told you this before – but I really enjoy your writing style. You are a great writer – and now you will join the ranks of Brene Brown, Nouwen, Spurgeon… in my notebook of notable quotes for “hearing God speak is often about being quiet enough to listen, having faith enough to believe it’s Him and being brave enough to obey.” Somewhere, sometime, I will quote you.
But that isn’t said to puff you up (only to encourage) – just keep being who you are – who God is making you to be. Keep being brave.
You are too kind, Diane. However, I went to sleep with the voice of critics in my head the night before last, so God knew I needed your words of encouragement yesterday. Thank you for being that for me. I so appreciate you.
Great post, Katie! And a great reminder not to shove away their small questions in the busy moments just because we’re busy. I find that bathtime always brings out great questions and time for discussion!
Thank you, Laura. It’s a challenge as mama, isn’t it? Great tip on bath time! 🙂
Katie,
How sweet. Kids do slam us with those questions when we least except it. Sometimes, that’s the beauty of it. How we handle it makes a big difference. Sounds like you are handling it great with your “I’m still learning right along with her.”
I think that may be my story for the rest of my life, Sheila; learning right along with them. 🙂