One day my husband, Charlton, and I went to a local park to talk and pray. We had so much on our minds — family, business and job issues, unsaved loved ones, ministry, fellow church members, the church at large, the world at large. It was overwhelming.
A quiet park on a sunny weekday seemed a good place to seek the Lord to try to sort it all out without interruption. We settled in at a lone picnic table and began our discussion.
After just a few minutes, a boy about age six or seven rode up on his Razor scooter and promptly warned us that we better be careful because he was “going to go down that little hill like really, really fast” and did not want us to get hurt. He was so surprisingly straightforward, confident and thoughtful, we did not mind.
We thanked him for the warning and told him we will be careful, and off he zoomed. We then continued forging through our pile of concerns.
It was not long before this little boy came up to us again.
“Did you see me?! I went all the way down and then around that way! And I was going super fast!”
“You were, were you?”
“Yeah, like really super fast!”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna do it again!”
And off he went, with his exuberant self.
Somehow, that child was refreshing.
As we resumed our prayers, our new little friend returned a third time and was about to give us his latest scooter report, when Charlton gently told him to please wait just a minute because we were praying.
And that is exactly what that child did. Although he was straightforward, he was also respectful. First, he stood there quietly for a minute. Then, just as quietly, he got off his scooter, removed his helmet, climbed up a nearby tree, and played with a toy while he waited.
As soon as we were done, he came right over to us and said without any trepidation or whining, “I need one of you to help me. My mom says it’s time to go but I can’t hold my parachute man and ride my scooter at the same time. So one of you needs to take it to her for me.”
That little boy felt he needed something and then just simply asked for it.
We were so impressed. He made his request with such fearless expectant trust and with such assuredness that we would find it reasonable. Because of that, not to mention how excited he was to share his scooter adventures with us in the first place, and since he waited so patiently for us, Charlton was happy to oblige. Who cares that he could have just put the toy right back in his pocket!
“You have not, because you ask not,” Charlton said upon returning.
“Well, then let me ask right now,” and I proceeded to talk to God very specifically and straightforwardly about the things we were seeking Him to move on. Without any self-conscious insecurity, without any over-analyzing of our situation, without any whining doubts, I just simply asked.
Has He answered those requests? Some yes, some no. But what does it matter? God used that awesome kid that day to remind us what it means to come to Him as little children: exuberant, straightforward but respectful, fearless with expectant trust, and assured that, if we ask rightly and are patient, He may very well find our requests reasonable and be happy to oblige.
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