The Faith of a Child
“Let the little children come to me…for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14 NIV)
We only knew each other for about five minutes, but we were already best friends. The only communication we had was my asking her what her name was and she responded with a twenty-five syllable name in Spanish that I 
could not repeat back to you if I tried. All I did was blow some bubbles for her and read her a book, but those simple gifts of kindness meant the world.
After we played, she crawled up in my lap and just sat there. I held her and loved her as she snuggled in my lap.
I am so thankful for my little friend, even though I do not know her name or speak her language. She taught me about faith. As I held her quietly in my arms, I thought about Jesus when He said, “Let the little children come to me…for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14 NIV)
I want to have faith like that little girl, a faith that is simple, joyful, and trusting. I desire to love God unconditionally and come to Him without reservation. I want to crawl up in the lap of my Lord, trusting Him even when I do not understand Him. I know that He loves me, so I love Him in return. After all, that is all that faith really is – the willingness to lean into the arms of the Lord and rest awhile, knowing that He is holding you and loving you securely.
Thought for the day: God is always available for you to run to Him and rest in His arms.
ASHLI ROUSSEL
Ashli Roussel, a nineteen-year-old sophomore at Harding University, is passionate about sharing the truth and love of the Lord through writing. She loves camping, running, playing the piano, and participating in missions. Most of all, she is passionate about knowing, following, and serving her Lord and Savior. Without Him, her stories would mean nothing.
Ashli has battled and overcome an eating disorder, which God used to teach her great truths about who He is and how He is involved in our struggles. Now she desires to comfort others with the comfort that she has received from God. Keep an eye out for Ashli’s regular articles on iBegat.com! (read more…)
Beauty and the Beast Theology
“Truly I say to you, unless you turn around and become as young children, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” (Matthew 18:3 NWT)
None of us, when we were five years old watching the opening of Beauty and the Beast as Belle danced through the town, stopped to ask what on earth ‘provincial’ meant. Nope, we kept watching. We went with it. Because even though we didn’t technically understand, we got it; the fact that Belle was a dreamer and wanted more than life had given her.
As teens, we question everything. Is the death penalty Biblical? Why aren’t there piranhas in the Amazon? Why was my friend killed by a drunk driver if God is just? Are the hot dogs in the cafeteria really made of plastic and road-kill? Why did my parents divorce?
And while questions are essentially good—they more often than not become a distraction from the main message God has for us. Some of the greatest theological minds in the world know everything there is to mortally comprehend but at the end of the day, they still miss the mark. They’re too distracted by the obstacles they’ve put up for themselves.
That’s why God calls us to look at this world through the eyes of children. Kids don’t always understand the mechanics of how things work but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying the moment.
So stop looking at the technicalities life throws at you and look into the heart of God once again.
CHRISTINE WESSELIUS
Christine grew up in the windowless basement of her grandparent’s house and has thus been fondly nicknamed “The vampire in a box” by her friends. She has a strong affinity for sarcasm, shiny purple things, and random, useless information that “normal people probably wouldn’t care about.” She likes to sing, act, draw, write, read, and make fun of Prince Charming in her spare time. Some of her epic skills include: surviving a piano being dropped on her, carrying on a five hour conversation with a wall, and making a grilled cheese sandwich spontaneously explode. (read more…)
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