God Willing


 

Now listen you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  James 4:13-15

 
Children are often instructed to watch, listen and learn from those people with more experience. Surely parents are the earliest teachers of any child. Sadly, far too many children learn all the wrong things. The other day I was blessed not only to see the result of great parenting but to be taught a lesson by a five year old.

My little friend Adam was quite excited to tell me that he would most likely not see me at church on Sunday. After inquiring about my intentions toward church attendance he said, “I probably won’t be there. We’re going to Orlando this weekend, God willing.” Now, to make this even more precious, hear it spoken with a tiny speech impediment, one that he is outgrowing rapidly and that I will miss. The words “God willing” were sweet enough but hear it as, “God wiwwing” and it’s even more adorable. A few minutes after our first conversation Adam repeated the information again. His family was planning to go to Orlando, God willing. In the brief ten minutes we spent together I heard Adam tell at least three other people the same story with the same modifier. He had plans, God willing. Those words coming out of that child, with a face so absolutely beautiful, impish and precious that it defies an accurate description, just grabbed my heart.

This is a kid you want to hug every time you see him. He’s that adorable and on top of that, he was speaking with authority straight from the Scripture. For the rest of the weekend and on into the next week I thought about Adam’s words. “God willing.” It is how we all should view our plans. They are not written in stone. We need to keep our hearts and minds open. We will go here or there, do this or that, God willing. It’s a humbling, submissive statement and I am so grateful to Adam for shining such a tender spotlight on it.

Further, I’ve thought about the way Adam is being raised. I know his parents or better said, I’m acquainted with them. They are sweet young people and on meeting them you know why their children (I knew Adam’s older sister first) are so great. Jesus is clearly the center of their family.

A few years ago my granddaughter Faith told me that God speaks to people all the time but that grownups don’t always listen. I heard Him loud and clear through Adam and I’m grateful, and now God willing, I have to go to work.

 

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