The child friend of my 4 year-old niece died recently in an accident. I believe it was the first time in Natalie’s young life that she had experienced the loss of someone she knew. Natalie’s parents gently answered her questions. They explained her young friend’s death to Natalie in terms that a 4 year-old child might understand.
A few weeks later while attending church with her parents, Natalie listened intently to the story about how Jesus had died to save people from their sins. Suddenly, Natalie blurted out, “Did Jesus run into the street and get hit by a car too?”
Natalie’s understanding of death was limited by her capacity as a child to comprehend it. Her limited understanding of death did not diminish its impact on her, but it means she carries within her a child’s understanding of it.
And that’s all right for now.
Believers in Christ are often referred to as “God’s children.” Perhaps one reason is that our understanding of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are at best child-like when compared to the knowledge of God.
There is so much we don’t and can’t understand. What we do understand of God’s Kingdom is limited by our capacity to comprehend concepts that are not of this world.
But the thing is, we don’t need to understand everything. God anticipated we wouldn’t be able to understand everything and so did Jesus.
But there is at least one thing that anyone can understand if they open their hearts to God’s love: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t understand it now.” (Jesus speaking, John 16:12)
And that’s all right for now.
Photo by Dmitry Travnikov
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