Learning from a three year old

     

First off, I have to say how fortunate of an individual I am to have the privilege of spending a week on the beach in the southern state of Alabama. There is nothing more surreal than the beauty of white beaches surrounded by the infinite abyss of the ocean. What is even more amazing to me, is that in a place so exquisite and fascinating, I was taught something not by the beauty of the ocean, or the beach, but by my three year old nephew on the porch of our condo.

As I was sitting on the porch of our twelfth floor condo sipping on a cup of coffee, I began to watch as my three year old nephew peered out from inside the condo afraid to come out on the porch. He had this look in his eye that said, "I WANT to see the beach, I WANT to see the ocean." But the closest he would get was plastered against the the glass doors, trying everything he could to see, all that we could see. Fear on a child is much more evident than on an adult. Its in their eyes, their facial expressions, their words. He felt that the porch brought some sort of impending danger. We, as the adults tried all we could to show him that the porch was what we said it was, safe. Nothing in him would believe us. He refused to take our word.

Then out of nowhere, his father picked him up and began to bring him on the porch. There was no resistance, no yelling or screaming. He just let him. His little blue eyes began to widen as he neared closer to seeing the beauty that was before him. But thats not what astonished me, no that I expected. What astonished me is what happened next. His father began to let him go so that he could stand on the porch. My nephew than began to scream and yell with all his might. "Dont let me go!" "No!" "No!" "No!" Then his feet hit the floor. His tears and screams began to cease. He almost looked shocked at the events that had occurred. He was not only safe, but he was happy. He than began to run all around the porch, enjoying every second of it.

As I was observing the child-like events that had occurred, it hit me. So often are we that child. We know there is something exquisite and beautiful out there but we just cant see it. We are so blinded by our fear that we tell ourselves that it's not safe. But that's the beauty of it all, we dont have to walk on the porch by ourselves. Our Father will pick us up and bring us there. He will show us the beauty. He will show us that it's safe. Even then, we may scream and yell and cry as he tries to place us down. But like many times before, he will prove to us that everything he brings us too is good. That fear is pointless with God. With him, we are always safe.