My grandson has a special way of reminding me of what really matters in life. Today was yet another example of his profound perspective, seen through the innocent eyes of a child. How God uses his simple, honest faith to see the world inspires me. We all could learn something from the faith of a child. As the Bible says, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4, ESV).
Recently, we encountered a yellow jacket nest in a storage chest on our dock. Yellow jackets are among the feistiest stinging insects, especially given their small size, and they had constructed a nest inside the brown resin storage chest on our dock, making it their new home. These insects are extremely territorial and will not hesitate to sting if you come near or disturb their nest. And when they attack, it’s rarely just one – they come at you in swarms, and their wrath is fierce.
My husband, determined to rid our dock of these unwelcome guests, armed himself with one of those electric racquet swatters designed to zap insects. As he began his mission, the yellow jackets started to swarm. Before long, one of them stung him on the wrist, prompting a loud “ouch!” He threw down the racquet, unable to defend himself as the yellow jackets began their relentless attack. My grandson and I, witnessing this, took off running and screaming in fear.
Seeing his usually fearless grandpa in such a vulnerable state scared my grandson immensely. He wasn’t used to seeing PawPaw afraid of anything. When my husband got stung and started to run away, my grandson’s fear turned into tears. He was deeply concerned for his grandpa’s safety.
Once we ran away, my grandson said through his tears, “This is too big of a problem for us. We need to pray and have God take care of it. God is big and can take care of anything.” His words stopped me in my tracks. He was right. Sometimes, the problems we face in life are too big for us to handle on our own. But they are never too big for God.
I took my grandson’s hand and said, “You are absolutely right. God can take care of it for us. Let’s pray.” Together, we bowed our heads and prayed, “God, take care of the yellow jackets. Help keep PawPaw safe and help him get rid of the yellow jackets.”
In that moment, my grandson’s simple, childlike faith reminded me of a powerful truth: God can handle all our problems, big and small. We just need to turn to Him and trust Him with our burdens. As adults, we often try to manage everything on our own, forgetting that we have a heavenly Father who is always ready to help us. My grandson’s faith was a beautiful reminder that we should bring all our worries to God in prayer.
What problem are you holding onto or trying to manage on your own? What burden do you need to turn over to God? Let my grandson’s example remind you that God is big enough to handle whatever you’re facing. He is a mighty God, and He cares deeply for each of us.
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15, ESV). This verse echoes the lesson my grandson taught me that day. We must approach God with a childlike faith, trusting Him completely and believing that He is capable of handling all our problems.
I am grateful for the reminder from my grandson. His faith reminded me to rely on God fully and to trust in His power and love. May we all strive to have a childlike faith, trusting that God can and will take care of us.
Thank you, Lord, for being a Big God and for the reminder from my grandson that you can handle all our problems. May we all have the faith of a child, believing wholeheartedly that you are in control and that you care for us deeply. Amen.
Written by Dr. Nancy Meyer
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Carol McLeod Ministries
Featured Image by Thomas Mühl from Pixabay
