Small Footprints

"Let the little children come...

for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:14

The ways God moves to bring us Life are more profound than the gift of life itself.  While stranded in a desert place of brokenness, He provided the ultimate cure in the form of five precious little girls. Who on this Earth could foresee the power their love has had upon my heart?  

My girls are the essence of girlhood - the season of twirling skirts and sparkling crowns.  Their faces gleam with their desire to please someone and be found precious and captivating. Despite hurt and rejection wrought upon them by negligent fathers and broken families, these girls have hearts of gold.  They are eager to fulfill their curiosity and completely trusting with whatever answer they receive.  They are beauty in its purest form, as their peace and joy flows through their innocent smiles.

They accept each other, they love each other.  They love me.  They are easily satisfied.  Braid their hair.  Hold them tightly.  Kiss them goodnight.  Listen to them.  The high-maintenance lifestyle of selfish upward mobility is a completely foreign concept.  As long as they know they are loved, they are completely happy.

One night, one of my girls practically drilled me on theology, thirsting for the truth about this Jesus whom she has never met.  Later that night, she shares a dream.

“I was standing in a field.  And Jesus was holding my hand.  I was so joyful!”  - Jillian age 8

After bashfully hiding her face, she peeks from under her blanket seeking some sort of reaffirmation.  After gentle encouragement, she asks the Lord into her heart.

The next night another of my girls comes to me with tears filling her eyes, wondering why her daddy can’t seem to come home for her.  

We prayed, and asked God to be her Big Daddy, and to fix her sadness and let her dad know how much she misses him and needs him.

Later, she told me with a smile that she had a dream as well.  

“Jesus and I were running together.  And we were running to jail to free my Dad.” - Kayla age 9

I cried.

So simple, so heartfelt, and so hopeful. They fully believe that God is big enough to do anything.  God is the Lord of all creation, after all.  He made the stars, He knows the number of hairs on their heads.  He loves them, and He just wants to be in their hearts.  Facts and “real life” don’t matter to them.  They hurt and bruise, but never ever does that stop them from getting back up.  They can be wronged in the most horrible ways imaginable yet their hearts still cry out for love.  They don’t resort to hate and bitterness.  They just want to be cheerful.  

These girls taught me how to love again, and through their sweet smiles our Jesus raised beauty out of the ashes.

All the pain and walls that I have been clinging to can be pulled down by a flood of peace.  That promise holds true for all of us.  We just have to adopt a child's posture, learn from humility, and let all the false misconceptions disappear.

 God calls us to be children.  So children we must become.