Lessons from Kaibian

Being a grandpa seems qualitatively different from my experience of fatherhood. Part of that may be that, as an adoptive parent, I entered into my sons' lives a little later. Now that we have had the opportunity to help raise a baby, now tottler, we are experiencing so many new things. At fifty two and then some, I am a young man again observing life, learning, and love-bonding at new and wonderful levels.

I am learning things about God and how He relates to us from Kaibian who I often call, "Kaibo."

For instance, this morning, Kaibo and I were outside. Our home is like a giant Montessori school because most everything is allowed and explorable that is not dangerous or destructive. Water and dirt and bugs are all inside the bounds of propriety and exploration. It is a wonderful world and it needs to be discovered by inquisitive 19 month old whose primary language of worship includes the words "oooh," and "ahhhh."

During our walk, with me following, we discovered a friendly kitten, numerous insects,mounds of loose dirt waiting to be distributed, puddles of water, and a tree big enough to give shade and young enough to be swayed by my relatively strong hand.

I swayed the tree to get Kaibo's attention and he hurried over to imitate my actions. He pushed from below, focusing on the tree. Out of his view, I pushed in response to his actions and the tree swayed every time he acted.

It reminded me of faith.

I did not push the tree until he did. He did not have the strength to push the tree on his own and I did not have the resolve to push it until he did. I had the strength. He supplied belief, curiosity, and wonder.  He acted in faith and his faith triggered my response. In the process, he learned about cause and effect and I learned something at least tentative about God.

God chooses to teach us to pray and act in faith by exercising His strength in response to our prayers and faith acts. That nurtures in us a sense of wonder, trust, and personal responsibility for our choices, actions, and beliefs.

God chooses to work in us, with us, and through us and supply what is ;lacking in our strength and power. If we were to sit down and assess every aspect of our own ability to affect change and build our dreams, we would come to the conclusion that none of it was worth the bother because all of it was impossible.

That is not the case living in the dimension of faith and Spirit. God has a difference economy and God supplies where we are weak, but willing.

Kaibo helped me remember that this morning.

The Dream Factory
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Tom Sims, Pastor, Coach, Encourager, Friend
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