"It was so
nice of Jesus to let Peter walk on the water." That’s what Titus
told me, when he was 2 years old. Still makes me giggle, picturing his
little blonde head and the little boy voice speaking the words. True
words, they are, though. It was so nice of Jesus. So nice of Him to
let us do so many things, and learn, and grow, and live, and breathe, and keep
on needing Him, and keep on running to Him. So true, and Titus’s little
heart was beginning to notice His goodness, and it was so kind of our Savior to
earn us the standing of brothers and sisters, fellow heirs, heirs together of
the grace of God, and all that He is and owns and offers, so that little
toddlers can begin to grow up in Him, and learn of Him, and hear His gospel of
grace through faith plus nothing else, because nothing else was good enough to
erase my sin except His own lifeblood.
True words,
spoken by one who didn’t yet understand them, but does now, and yesterday, when
I asked him what he wanted to thank God for, said, “Mom, I’m thankful that God
saved those 5000 people when Peter preached that message . . .” Peter
again. Titus again. Growth. Truth. The Gospel, at work,
in my family, in my son, in me, as it was in Peter, as it was when he spoke
truth to thousands, and thousands believed, because God blessed Peter’s words
and blessed his faith and grew his tiny faith into a great big faith. Because
the object of the faith didn’t change, and as he fixed his heart on that One,
the faith came into clearer focus and grew strong and mature, unbudging,
unrelenting, bold, and fearless, no matter the waves, no matter the crowds, no
matter the persecution, even in the face of death, he didn’t cry out “I’m
sinking!” because Jesus had taken that tiny measure of faith given, and grown
it into something rock solid. Upon this rock I will build my church, He
said.
It was so nice
of Jesus to let Peter grow into his big strong grown-up faith, and to let us
learn from his example, and to teach us obedience by His own unquestioning
obedience to the Father.
Tiny gifts.
Tiny, unbreakable, ever-growing gifts. Like a tree, planted by the
river of water, bringing forth fruit in its season. In its season.
From walking on water, gasping out in fear, to preaching to multitudes, to his
own execution. He brought forth fruit in its season, and it started with
a tiny faith gift.
