"I like you."
That's what she said to me after 10 minutes of running and jumping into my arms. How can a child this small completely trust a twenty-year-old college student she'd known not even for an hour? Why was she so confident I would catch her when she jumped from a wall into my arms?
As I walked away I was reminded of Mark 10:15:
"I assure you: whoever does not
welcome the Kingdom of God
like a little child will never enter it."
Children have deep, unconditional faith and trust. If you tell a child to jump into your arms and assure them that you will catch them, they will jump with a huge smile on their face and arms stretched wide, awaiting your embrace that awaits them at the end of their literal leap of faith. As Christians, we are commanded to "GO!" Sometimes going isn't easy, and by sometimes, I mean far more times than not. Whether it's going to Africa or going across the street to your neighbor, we're meant to go, not as request, but as a command. I have seen through this child's trust of me that when God calls us to do something, we should do it willingly, with a joyful heart. What is a better picture of our relationship with our Father, Creator and Redeemer than us running to him with arms open, leaping through the air, and not just hoping for, but awaiting his embrace?
Will you come to the King with a joyful smile and arms stretched out?
-Caitlin Blackwell