Tonight, as Diana put the girls down and they said their prayers, Abby prayed, "God, I hope you give us extra daily bread and when it runs out, I hope you give us more." It's cute, but more than that it's real. Abby isn't programmed to hedge her comments to God like I do so often. She want to be taken care of abundantly and not worry about where more will come from when it's needed...and she expresses that to her Heavenly Father...that's cool. And I can learn something from her.
It reminds me of a lesson I got in faith about a year ago. I was working for a place that also ran a daycare and the girls went with me to work on the bus every day. When the organization decided to terminate my employment the girls and I weren't on the bus for a few days.
We needed to head somewhere about 4 days after I lost my job and as we climbed up on the bus our driver asked where we'd been. "You guys haven't been riding to work lately."
Courtenay, without missing a beat, responded, "Daddy doesn't work there anymore. But that's OK, God has something better for us."
It was a jaw dropping moment for me. She was 4 years old and, in 2 sentences, had explained the kind of faith I should have. Courtenay wasn't worried about the future or upset that she would no longer see her friends at daycare anymore. She knew God had a plan. For a father of two who had no transportation (hence the bus) and no job, or even prospects, faith was running low for me. In a moment, through some teary eyes, I got it.
God's in control. Period. We can stress and worry about life and struggle to hold on and control the day to day things that happen so we worry a little less. But even if we do, we have no control. He controls it all. And he has told us "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jer. 29:11)
And yet knowing all that, a year later I sit on the couch scared to death of the possibility of another lost job, or a complication during the upcoming surgery that could cost me know less than a foot (worst case) and I find it so hard to just shrug my shoulders and say, "It's OK, God has something better for us."
