12 Jun The Faith of a Child

One thinks of childhood as a time of joy and trust, but is it really? Speaking on his television program, G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense on EWTN, Dale Ahlquist said this:

“Youth is a time when every disappointment seems like the end of the world. The things that cause a little boy’s distress are terrible, not because they are large, but because he doesn’t know they are small. Hope is a thing that comes with maturity. It’s a thing nurtured by tragedy – by a variety of tragedies. Chesterton says, ‘Hope means hoping when things are hopeless’.”

When facing what seem like insoluble problems, I tend to panic first, then calm down and place it in God’s hands. I’ve learned to do this for my sanity because I’ve found that each time I’ve given it to God (and not told Him how to handle it), the problems have been resolved in His time − often resulting in a lesson learned and a greater trust in God. I thank God I learned to do this when I did, though I wish it had been sooner. Practice makes perfect. We must practice trusting God to know what is best for our salvation. Hand your problems to Him and don’t take them back. You will experience your trust in Him and love for Him growing exponentially. As Ahlquist said, “Hope is a thing that comes with maturity. It’s a thing nurtured by tragedy…”