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There's an unassuming little book that has charmed its way up the bestseller lists. Over 1.2 million copies are now in print. It's Children's Letters to God by Stuart Hample and Eric Marshall. In it you'll find the surprising pleasures and provocations of what happens when kids decide to send a letter to God. Whether posing a question, begging a favor, or expressing doubt or joy, these letters are notable for their refreshing directness, unexpected humor, and startling clarity of thought. It's like seeing the world through a child's bright eyes--eyes untouched by cynicism, eyes brimming with innocence, wonder, and curiosity. Take for example the following questions children asked God.
God, did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? -- Norma
Dear God, instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't You just keep the ones You have now? -- Jane
Dear God, who draws the lines around the countries? -- Nan
Dear God, I went to this wedding, and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? -- Neil
Dear God, what does it mean You are a Jealous God? I thought You had everything. -- Jane
Dear God, did you really mean "Do unto others as they do unto you?" Because if you did, then I'm going to fix my brother! -- Darla
Dear God, thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. -- Joyce
Well, that's a good question for God. If we prayed for a puppy, a puppy is what we ought to expect, not a baby brother. We can learn a lot about faith by observing our children. Yet more inspiring than the faith of little children, however, is the faith of many adults. Some of us have had setbacks, disappointments, heartaches–and yet we've kept our faith, and more than that, we've grown in our faith through those shattering experiences.
Consider a young man named John. Several years ago, National Geographic journalist, Erla Zwingle, interviewed John Cheku from Lagos, Nigeria. Jobs are scarce in Lagos, and most people work very hard just to survive. John spent his days selling dog leashes at a busy intersection in Lagos. From sunup until sundown he stood in the heat, breathing in exhaust fumes, trying to sell his leashes. He could have joined a local gang and turned to a life of crime to support himself, but he chose honest work.
John kept a positive attitude despite the hard work and grinding poverty. He told the writer from National Geographic, "No, I don't get discouraged, because I know that God is life."
John Cheku's faith puts the faith of most of us to shame. "No, I don't get discouraged, because I know that God is life."
In Psalm 46:1-7, 10-11 the Psalmist declares "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her; she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. Nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress . . . He says, 'Be still and know that I am God! I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.' The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
First, last and always, God!
An interviewer once asked theologian R. C. Sproul what the greatest spiritual need of the world is. R.C. answered, "The greatest need in people's lives today is to discover the true identity of God." Then the interviewer asked what the greatest need of people in the church is. And Sproul repeated the exact same answer. People inside the church are no different from people outside the church. As R.C. said, "If believers really understood the character and the personality and the nature of God, it would revolutionize their lives."
The saddest people on earth are those who don't know God. Some of us may share that sadness at times. Perhaps as children we trusted in God's providence and care. But life has a way of treating us roughly and gradually our faith is chipped away.
The saddest people in the world are those without God. Going to church doesn't necessarily mean all is well with our soul. At times, some of us go through the motions of religious faith without feeling its joy, its comfort, its hope.
That doesn't mean that just because we don't feel God, He isn't with us. Just because our feelings may be numb to God doesn't mean He isn't with us.
An interviewer once asked Irving Berlin, composer of "God Bless America," "Easter Parade," and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," "Is there any question you've never been asked that you would like someone to ask you?" "Well, yes, there is one," Irving replied. He posed the question himself:
"What do you think of the many songs you've written that didn't become hits?" Then he answered his own question: "My reply would be that I still think they are wonderful." Then he added, "God, too, has an unshakable delight in what, and whom, He has made. He thinks each of His children is wonderful, and whether they're a "hit" in the eyes of others or not, He will always think they're wonderful."
Irving is right; God has a wondrous love for us. We may not feel worthy to be loved, we may even reject that love–but we can't keep God from loving. That's His nature.
In a special issue of Time magazine some years ago, Israeli scientists were reported to be marketing a microchip that, implanted under the skin, will protect film stars and millionaires from kidnap gangs. The chip emits a signal detectable by satellite to help rescuers determine a victim's approximate location.
Originally developed to track Israeli secret-service agents abroad, the $5,000 battery-less Sky-Eye chip sold by Gen-Etics runs solely on the neurophysiological energy generated within the human body. Gen-Etics won't reveal where the chip is inserted but says 43 people have had it implanted.
It's amazing to me that it's easier for us to believe that technology can track an individual person's movements anywhere in the world, but somehow, we are lost to God. How absurd. We are under the watchful eye of a Heavenly Father who never leaves us, who is always concerned about our well-being.
There is no one sadder than those without God. However, God's presence doesn't depend on our awareness of Him, but His awareness of us. Neither does our salvation depend on what we've done, but what God has done on our behalf. In the end, it's all God.
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Rev. Charles Eldredge is a member of Maitland Church of the Brethren. He has a Facebook page and can be contacted by email: ce1133 @verizon.net.