God Speaks to Children

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Matthew 5:8

“I’m getting older and younger at the same time.” 

Someone recently said this, or maybe I read it, I can’t remember. But I can relate. It’s how I feel, too. Like the older I get, the more the little girl in me resurfaces. 

I’ve been making my way through this beautiful workbook by a woman named Holli Aparicio. Hearing God’s Heart: A Journey Toward Intimacy, Prayer, and Hearing the Father’s Voice. (I highly recommend it.) Holli and I will be speaking together at a retreat next spring, and we met at a gathering at my church last month. The two of us seem to have a lot in common; our stories feel similar, and we even worked with the same publisher. 

Holli’s book focuses on listening prayer, and journaling exercises, and one Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago, I encountered this prompt: 

Ask Jesus the following question, and then wait, listen, and journal what you sense he is saying to you. 

“How do you feel about me?”

Immediately I received this picture, which I’ll share in a minute. But first—full disclosure. Important to note is that I do not always get an obvious response to these kinds of questions. In fact, as I’ve made my way through Holli’s book, I would say God’s answers have tended to be slower and more gradual, Spirit inspired impressions taking shape bit by bit, over days and weeks, as I continue to ponder, and pay attention. 

But this one time the response came quickly. Right away I saw Jesus in my imagination. He was playful and excited, and he was beckoning to me. I sensed him saying, “I have so much to show you, and you’re going to love it! I can’t wait!” Jesus’ invitation was for fifty-eight-year-old me—but it made me feel like a wide-eyed child. Later that Sunday morning, as I approached the communion table at church, that picture was still there in my imagination—so real and clear. It was an exquisite, holy moment, which I hope to never forget. 

A couple of days ago I listened to a sermon from the homepage of my church’s website. (The sermon was homework for a membership class.) At the very end of the message, Pastor Dave told a story about his son, Jude, when he was a little boy. It was a story he’d heard secondhand from his wife, a number of years ago. A story that continues to effect me so deeply I don’t have words to describe it’s impact. I think you’ll see what I mean. Here is the story as told by Jude’s mommy—

My boy had a moment today that took my breath away. Running and playing and the wind suddenly swept over him and he froze. I watched him stand there in one place, which is rare. And then he jumped up and ran back to me, and he was yelling, “Mom. God is in the wind!” And I asked him what he meant. And he said, “The wind blew on me and I saw all these little white things by my feet, so I said, ‘God, is that you? Do you know me?’” And He said, “Yes.” And Jude said, “It was in my ears. Not where everyone else’s ears could hear it, but it was in my heart.” And then he took off and went back there and sat in that spot for several minutes on end, and I watched his little mouth moving and talking, but there were no words.” What a gift to watch the faith of a child discover his Creator. 

What a gift, indeed. 

All I can say is, my own deepest, most genuine desire is for THIS—at every level. I want to be this child. I want to know this child. And I want the children in my life to KNOW GOD THIS WAY! 

I believe I would trade every other earthly treasure for the privilege of preparing soil where THIS is possible. Especially for my grandkids. But also for the kids at church, and for all of the grownup kids in my life, who need so badly to see Jesus beckoning them. To see God in the wind. 

God is in the wind. 

Oh my goodness. 

He is real and He is with us. Here. Today. Tomorrow. And forever. 

Jesus, I receive your invitation. YES! YES! YES!