Jesus Didn't Talk

The last few months have been quite interesting, in terms of the things I’m learning about myself and my faith level. Yesterday, I think I got a punch in the stomach during a conversation with my then two-year-old daughter. As we walked around outside a hospital, she asked various questions: “Mommy, why that lady walking like that?” “Why that car over there?” Then, she stopped dead in her tracks, looked up, tugged my arm and pointed, “Mommy, Jesus up there? He live up up there?”

“Yes, mama, He does,” I replied.

She waved then frowned. I asked her what was wrong, and she replied, “I don’t see Him.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Jesus. I say ‘hi’ to Him, and He didn’t talk.”

I was stuck. I didn’t know what to do or say, so I said, “Oh, there! He’s giving up the thumbs up, mama! See?”

“No, Mommy. I can’t see it.”

“Up there,” I said, pointing to the sky.

As we looked, trying different angles, and being blinded by the sun, she gave up and asked to go inside. The sad look on her face made my heart sink as she grabbed my hand and we headed inside, to get out of the heat.

I felt awful about what I’d done. I’d worsened things. At least all it was before was that He didn’t speak to her. I thought I’d somehow ruined her faith, by egging her on, encouraging her to look for Jesus…God in the sky. I spent most of the morning pondering…trying to figure out how to rectify the situation.

That evening, as the children scurried upstairs to the loft, I heard one of the boys screaming and crying. When I got there, my little girl was standing over him, eyes closed, and I heard, “…And Jesus…for my brudder…his leg has a hurt. You gonna make it all better. Amen.”

At that moment, I felt a flood of emotions. I was elated, relieved, contented. My baby had just demonstrated Matthew 18:3 - And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Her childlike faith, despite not seeing or hearing Jesus, was still strong. She believed this God that she could neither see nor hear was capable of making her brother well. As a “seasoned” Christian, one would think I could understand this, but I was puzzled, even a tad frustrated. How was it that she got it and as long as I’ve been a Christian, I still have struggles with my faith from time-to-time? I’ve “tasted and seen that the Lord is good,” yet, I still waver in faith sometimes. Sigh…I’m the mom, yet, I’m indirectly growing in faith by my child’s example. While “Jesus didn’t talk” to her, He spoke loud and clear to me.