And [Jesus] said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 (GNT)
My husband and I are blessed with lots of family around. The eldest is my husband's father who is 89 and the youngest is my grandson, who is one. Some days caring for them is very similar as the circle of life plays out before our eyes. One of the differences I have noticed though is tied to this verse in Matthew. When my grandson is in a pickle and I help him or I suddenly appear when he is unsure, he looks at me with a look that says "I knew you'd be here." He expects me to show up and help him whenever he needs me. My father-in-law, however, always looks surprised. Even though he is thankful when it happens, he is never confident we'll be there for him. Even though we've been helping him for three years, he still doesn't trust it.
As I reflected on this, I pondered if this is one of the character traits Jesus was talking about when he said we must become like little children. God wants us to trust him. He wants us to know that he will show up and help us every single time. He doesn't want us to say "I wasn't sure you were going to show up, I'm sure glad you did." He wants us to always say "I knew you'd show up. You always do."
Where are you in your walk with God? Are you surprised when he shows up or are expecting him with a childlike faith that can't be rocked by your circumstance? Maybe you are somewhere in between. Where ever you are, know that God loves you and will show up for you, every single time.