Faith of a Child

I had a reality check this afternoon as I read my mail. Kyle and I have been supporting 2 boys through Compassion International since we were in college. The one that I began supporting on my own is now in 5th grade (he was 4 when I started my support). His name is Heisner and he lives in a small village in Guatemala. When he was little he loved cars and the stickers that I would include with my letters. As he grew, so did his love for soccer. I remember he once wrote and asked that I pray for him because some boys were making fun of him.
The letter I received today included thanks for his Christmas gift which purchased a pair of pants, a shirt for school, and a toy car. But it wasn't his thank you that put me in my place. It was another prayer request.

"I ask that you please pray for my family, for my mother who in a few says will be operated on her stomach." (direct translation from Spanish)

This family has nothing of physical value. They have limited food and clothing (much of it provided through support from organizations like Compassion International). With my own mom looking at potential surgery I can imagine the stress that comes along with a family member not feeling well and needing something as serious as surgery to make it better. I have to remind myself, with facing my own mom's procedure, that God is in control; that he has everything in the palm of his hand. And that is in the United States where I don't have to be concerned about the cleanliness of the hospital that may lead to further infection or trying to figure out how it is going to be paid for, facing the realities of choosing between food or medical care.
We worry about everything when, in reality, we have nothing to worry about. In the United States we focus on every little thing that could possibly go wrong. For this little boy, living in a third world country, receiving support to meet his daily needs, he writes to me and asks for prayer. How incredibly humbling. I am reminded again and again of simple faith. Pure and true and the way that God always intended it to be.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and..." NIV - Online Bible Study

Matthew 6:25-30 (NIV)