Almost everyone loves children or finds them cute in some way. Perhaps because of them being tiny little humans bluffing through life and at times doing ridiculously funny things. Or perhaps it’s because of their innocence, their untainted positive view on the world, their belief that any and everything is possible.

Since I began working with children, I’ve been learning a lot of lessons from them, which in itself is always reminding me that opportunities for learning are everywhere, even where you don’t expect it.

So here’s the story: One of my children is playing with a ball. As he and a friend are throwing it around, it lands way behind some bushes. At first, they try to retrieve the ball by reaching their tiny little arms in as far as they could through the bushes. Once they realized that they couldn’t reach the ball, they then began to scout out the playground for something they could use to their aid.

Acquiring a little blue toy shovel, they try and try, unsuccessfully, to reach the ball and pull it out from behind the bushes. After I’m not sure how many attempts, one of them comes to me and asks me to try to get the ball, handing me the toy shovel. 

After a quick assessment of the situation and the “tools” at my disposal to rectify it, I decide it isn’t possible to get the ball. I told him that I would need something longer, like a long stick or a broom.

If you know anything about children, it’s not really easy to tell them no about anything… no matter how much you try to rationalize with them. So of course, he begins to tell me that I can indeed get the ball. He says “Yes I know the ball is far away but you can get it with this shovel (handing me the shovel once again), I know you can.”

To appease him, I tried to get the ball. I reached in half heartedly with this little toy shovel…. I reached in, without thinking that this attempt would yield the desired result, especially not with this too short, too inadequate, not a broom or a long stick toy shovel. I reached in…. and reached…. and then…. amidst my halfhearted attempt and disbelief, I saw that the shovel  actually wasn’t too far off from the target. I reached again, this time with hope behind me and more gusto, and you know what….?  I was able to retrieve it with that very shovel I thought it was impossible with before.

The lesson?

I’m not sure about you but sometimes I just feel like God picked the wrong person for something He wants to get done. I feel like I’m ill equipped and simply not the ‘top pick’ for the job. (And I’m in good company. See: Moses, Jeremiah, Gideon)

I assess the situation and the tools at my disposal and decide that those tools simply can not do the job. I spend time dreaming up other tools that I think would be better for the job. I look at my neighbors’ tools and determine that their tools are precisely what I need. I make up my mind that the tools I have are simply inadequate, rendering the task impossible.

Where is my trust in God? Where is my trust that He has equipped me with everything I need to accomplish what He wills? (2 Peter 1:3, Philippians 2:13)

So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. – Matthew 18:4

There are so many things we can learn from children, especially with regards to our walk with God. We must be like a child…. we must humble ourselves. Take our eyes off of us and place them on God. We must humble ourselves and trust…

• Trust that it is possible.
• Trust that He has given us everything we need to accomplish the task.

What did my student say to me after the ball was retrieved? “I told you you could! I told you you could with this shovel!”

What tools are at our disposal that we are overlooking because we have already deemed the task impossible?

 Lord, thank you that you share your wisdom in the most uncanny places and spaces. Thank you that you call me your child and your desire is for me to live in the truth that I am Yours. Thank you Father that every good and perfect gift comes from You. That as Your child, You supply me with everything I need to accomplish the task set before me. Open my eyes to the tools you have given me that I am overlooking or dismissing as not enough. Help me to remember that nothing is impossible with You.