It's a Bird, it's a Plane! It's FAITH!

“But how do we know he exists?” chirps a five-year old voice from behind.

            How is it that these little minds always ask the most profound questions while riding in the back seat of cars … during a moment where you want to make the most of such an inquiry, but instead, are forced to keep your attention forward. Maybe, just maybe, He knows that parents just need a wee bit more time to prepare?

So, I use that time and ponder, how do you explain "faith" to a child? How do you explain that faith is believing in something you can’t see, or even completely comprehend, even as an adult? My mind wonders to the things I have faith in, like my marriage. I have faith that it won’t turn out like my first, or like my parent's, or like the childhood-neighbor's, or like my best friend's, or … you get the idea.

Or, that if I decide to leave a possible prosperous career in the healthcare field to return to nonprofit sector, I have faith that all will work out for the best ... I have faith that He will provide despite my seemingly senseless decision. Good examples, but not exactly child-friendly explanations.

In the midst of all my self-absorbed pondering, of course the little-big-man completely forgets his brooding question and moves on to more important things like playing Angry Birds on mommy’s new phone. Hey, why not?

Not more than a week or so later, I prepare for Fam Jam. What is Fam Jam you might ask? Well, it’s a high energy theater-like production that entertains both kids and adults, while also teaching  a bit of the Good Book. (They also put yours-truly in a kilt, assigned me a quasi-Scottish accent, named me M.C. Haggis and told me to rap. Which of course only equals … Fun.)

As I’m rehearsing through my lines, I hold up a paper airplane and glide it through the pretend audience. And it’s my next line that gives me goosey-bumps as I read remembering my son’s unanswered question.

“It flies on a cushion of what we can’t see, but ... we know it can, because of what we can see. See?” [Must read in your best Shrek-like voice.]

And there it is … every day we trust in things we can’t see because of what we can see. We trust that that the sun will rise in the morning, that the flowers will bloom in the spring. We trust that planes will fly even though we don’t see wind. We hear words formed from thought, and see the effects of love. We have faith in the God we can’t see because of the creation we can see that surrounds us.

If you now ask the little-big-man what "faith" is, he will recite: Trusting in what you can’t see, because of what we can see. Aye! (Okay, so the "aye!" has nothing to do with faith, but it's just fun, laddies!)

Tomorrow , show  your little one a plane, a bird, a kite or a 100 red balloons gliding through the invisible air … and show him or her, Faith.