Jess Hover

I have a friend who is two. Her name is Lily. She happens to be in love with my husband, Shaun. He happens to love her too.

I noticed something about Lily. I notice it in most little children...

They are rarely stressed out.

For instance, Lily and her parents are going to South Africa for a few months to reach out to orphans and others in need. They will need to figure out housing, food, ministry partners, and all sorts of other details about the trip. But here we are, 2 months from their departure date, and Lily has not once freaked out about what she will be eating in Africa. I have yet to see her cry about what she will wear once she arrives there. Its interesting. She just trusts that her parents, Robert and Jenny, will do their job to provide for her every need, because they are parents, and that is their job.

I am different though. When my parent, God, (He calls Himself my Father), tells me I am going somewhere, then my tendency is to freak out and go crazy with questions like, "How will this work?", "Where will the money come from?", "What about food?"... Yet Jesus, when He walked on the earth, told me to be like a little child, and trust that I will be taken care of.

So I think my encouragement for today is that we all think a little less like grownups, and learn something from Lily. Trust our Dad in heaven to care for our every need, because its His job and He says He will do it.

Matthew 18:3

The Message (MSG)

 ^2-5For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.

^{Matthew 6:31} So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.