I know its been a while...

This past weekend was the family reunion for my Dad's side of the family. We always meet at the family farm, were my great great great grandfather built a log cabin that is still standing. When I was little, my Dad, Mom and I would go to the farm for the weekend sometimes, for our "weekend adventures".

Being there this past Sunday afternoon, I was flooded by memories. I remember hiding under the kitchen table, and being eye level with the counters. Everything seemed so much bigger then. The rooms that once seemed to be huge, were my Dad and I would have tea parties are now quite small and cluttered with junk- well, junk to me, but to my Uncle a lifetime worth of memories.

Things were so much simpler when I was eye level with those counters. My Mom could do absolutely anything, get or do anything for me, and that she was stronger than anyone who had ever lived. My Dad was a giant...and a superhero. He was the coolest guy, way cooler than the Beatles, and all my friends should have been jealous that I had such a cool superhero rockstar for a dad. My parents were going to live forever. Jesus walked on water because He was Jesus, I didn't need an explanation of how or why He did it. Life and faith and believing were easy. And then I grew up.

I grew up. I knew my Mom was a strong christian woman, but she couldn't do everything [this lesson was learned when I asked for a pony for my 5th birthday and didn't get one]. I knew that my Dad wasn't a superhero, he was just Dad. And although he loved me very much and would do anything he could for me, he wasn't invincible. As for me and Jesus, although I believe that everything the Bible said He did was true, I started wanting to know how and why He did it. I was especially curious about why He would die, although I did figure that one out and I am eternally grateful.

At one point in my life I thought that Jesus saying we would need the faith of a child was silly. Children? Really? But it makes perfect sense. Jesus tells us to trust---children trust without asking for a track record of past behavior to make sure you are trustworthy. Jesus tells us to believe---believing for kids? No problem. It might sound like an odd idea, but having faith like a child is the only kind of faith we can have.

Growing up gives us the impression that we need and deserve an answer and an explanation for everything, but in reality, thats not true at all. I will never be able to give enough reasons or answers or explanations for everything that Jesus did. I know that there are a ton of very intelligent people who can out talk and out reason me---but there is one thing that they can't out talk or out reason: I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see!