TO BELIEVE

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3

Joshua prayed for snow all day after hearing the weatherman say there was a “slight chance.”
He was talking to his Grandmother, who was so excited as she was having quite a bit of snow.

After he hung up, he looked so sad. He looked at me and said, “Dad, I’m never going to see snow until I move away. Then I’ll be too old to enjoy it.” It broke my heart because I knew how he felt. I was once a little boy praying for snow in Florida. I’m thankful God gave me something to say to him at that moment.

I told him that I saw a post earlier of a young girl struggling to live who has never stood before. But, that day she stood tall at a window for over 2 minutes watching it snow outside. It was a miracle!

I told him that when his Grandma was out walking in the snow that she ran into her neighbors from Russia. They told her that it reminded them of “home” so long ago. Maybe they needed to recall a time before things “got complicated.”

I asked him how he was praying? And he said: “To see snow of course”! I told him that maybe I prayed for it the wrong way too. I would say it like that too. For “me” to see snow. Like I needed proof of God’s existence, and of course, I was disappointed time and again. Which led me to stop believing as I grew older.  I told him that maybe we should pray for the people who need to see it. So they’ll believe again. Then just maybe they’ll forget their worries for a moment and feel as innocent and free as a child. And to possibly help them remember what it felt like to truly believe in miracles. Then, of course, the adult in me added, “It’s a tall order to pray for snow in Florida anyway.” Well, it wasn’t a tall order!! It started snowing at 12am and didn’t stop until 3:33! I have a feeling that Joshua may have added his Dad into that prayer. Because for a moment today, I didn’t believe. I watched and played in falling snow tonight, and found myself giggling like a child :) I’m still outside walking in inches of snow. I’m so excited to wake everyone up when the sun rises to see all this white before it melts. I need to believe you Father, like a child believed his Dad today.

(originally posted on December 9, 2017 on divinecrosses.com)