"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will
find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7.
On February 18, Presidents Day, the kids were off school,
and I took them to the mall to play and do some shopping. We met my husband, Andre,
for lunch and while talking, we heard thunderstorms. I immediately remembered
that UPS had left important packages outside of our door, and I had forgotten
to bring them inside.
I prayed to God and told Him that I would love to take the
kids to play on the play area even though the packages were unprotected. The
spirit impressed me that it would be fine. Even though the sky seemed
ready for a big storm, I went to the play area very confident that God was
leading us.
The kids played for about an hour, and then I felt impressed
as if God was calling, “It's time to go!” I got the kids and started
heading to the car. On the way, my daughter, Chloe, got distracted with another
toy and asked me if she could play there a little bit. Exiting the mall, my
other daughter, Pam, asked me to buy her a pretzel. By this time, I was
distracted and sort of going my own way and doing my own thing without seeking
God’s direction.
I got in line to buy Pam the pretzel while Chloe and Mckayla,
my youngest, played. Suddenly, I remembered my earlier conversational prayer
with God about keeping the packages dry. I called the kids, renewed my focus,
and on the way to the car, noticed that the clouds were heavy and dark. I
loaded the girls and double stroller in the car, and as soon as I started the
car, the downpour began. I got desperate and started driving faster. I
looked at Pam and started to doubt God. Why God? Why are you allowing this to
happen to me? No!! I can't have this rain right now. Couldn't you wait a little
longer?? My disconnection from God brought on my doubts that he was really
there and would care for my needs.
Pam, my oldest girl, noticed what was going on and gave me a
disappointed look. Immediately, I changed my attitude. I remembered God's
promise about having the faith of a mustard seed and his promise that I could
cast all my care on him because he cares for me. My spirit calmed.
I stopped trying to pass the other cars in front of me to try to move
faster. I felt peace. I told Pam and Chloe that we were only seven
minutes away from our house, but that our God was bigger than the heavy rain
falling outside. Everything we have is really God’s, and if he wants to keep
his packages dry, he can. He calmed the winds and waves on Galilee, and
he can protect his packages.
I prayed, reminding God to take care of the boxes. Though I
don’t always get a sense of God’s answers right away, this time I did. I sensed that God had already answered it. I
told my girls that I believed the boxes would be safe and dry even though the
rain was pouring out that way. When we were only one block away from our house,
we noticed that the ground was not wet at all. I started thanking God for His
care.
The girls were amazed when they saw that God had answered
our prayers. Amazed because we don’t always see the answers, and sometimes
there seems to be no answer, but this time they saw the rain, they knew about
the prayer, and the packages were dry. They looked at each other and said,
“Wow! God is really powerful, and He does love us very much.” Maybe not an
earth-shaking evidence, but in this small way, God evidenced himself to us that
day.
What are we modeling for our kids? Is God distant and
uninvolved, or do we model bringing him into even the small details of
life? How do we teach and model faith that God is part of our lives and
not create presumption that he will rescue every situation? I don’t know
exactly, but I do know that talking about faith, praying with our kids, and teaching
them to take their concerns to God is part of what God wants from us as
parents. He wants us to pass our faith to our kids.
Wednesday, last week I lost my cell phone and a friend’s mom
was helping me to locate it, when this friend said: “You have to pray more! Do
you remember when you told us in chapel that when we lose something we can
pray?” Wow! He remembered it. Do we always find the lost item we pray
about? Of course not, but we want our
children to be in a conversational relationship with God so he is included in
their world.
Whether a bowling ball goes in the right direction isn’t
solving world hunger, or all the injustice of the world. But when Chloe, my
5-year-old daughter, was fearful about bowling with the Pathfinders (a
scout-type group at our church), how great that she would think, in that moment
of inadequacy, of praying, talking to God in her childlike way, that God would
help her throw the ball in the right direction!
Every family will approach faith and prayer in their own
family context; the important thing is to build a legacy of faith and God connection
to pass onto the kids around us. I want my kids and all those I serve to
feel God close to them. I want them to experience God in their lives in every
aspect of it. I want them to know that God cares for and loves every single one
of us.
"If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those
who ask him. Ask and you will receive.” Matthew 7:11,7
Francini Reis
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