The Centurion's Secret

I have music on all day long.

My boys LOVE music. As soon as they finish their sippy cups of milk in the morning, they reach, point, and whine for me to turn on the CD player. I love it. Being a music lover myself, this excites me.

Our music of choice lately is either Psalty, the Donut Man or Chrisian kids' choruses. Do you sense a theme? Yes, it's all Christian music. If you come to my house, you'll probably hear one of three favorite tracks playing on repeat, which are silenced only when they boys go down. I've noticed that it changes the tone of my day when there are positive themes and phrases playing over and over. (There's also a chance you'll hear country music or perhaps even some show tunes, especially when mommy is cleaning. But you didn't hear that from me.)

We were listening to the Donut Man CD yesterday - one that I remember from when my brother was just a toddler - and one of the songs hit me in a new way. It made me think about what it means for us to have the "childlike faith" that God talks about in the Bible.

The song is called "The Centurion's Secret." It's about a soldier that comes to Jesus and requests He heals his servant, who is ill. (You can listen to the first part of the song here; it's track #13.) Rather than wait for Jesus to follow him to his servant's house, the soldier says, "Just say the word and I know he will be healed." Jesus was impressed by this man's faith. He knew Jesus was God and that He had the power, desire and ability to heal the sick. "I too am a man under authority. I say come, and they come. I say go, and they go... Just say the word and I know, he'll be healed as I go."

That's it!

That's faith. The soldier knew that Jesus could heal and He would, when asked. The soldier knew that all Jesus had to do was say the word and it would be done. He didn't even have to be in front of the man that needed healing. He was God and He was (and is) more than able. There was no doubt that his request would be granted.

When our kids ask for juice, they expect to be given juice. Not milk, not water, not blueberries. Juice. When they reach for mom, they know they will be resting in their mom's arms within moments. Not Dad's or Grandma's or the neighbor nextdoor. They ask, we grant. They know we want what's best for them and trust us to follow through.

That's what it means to have the faith of a child!

When I come to God, do I really expect Him to come through? Do I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt, my request will be granted? Prayers are a funny thing. Sometimes I wonder how much our prayers are meant to change God's mind and how much our prayers actually begin to change us. I've learned that God always answers our prayers, even if they are answered differently than we had expected... sometimes he says "yes." But other times, He may say "no." And then there are other times when He says, "Not now."

Coming to Him in faith means that I am fully aware of the fact that He is MORE than capable of granting my request. But just as a good parent doesn't always give their kids exactly what they want and when, He waits to bless us in ways that will better glorify Him and ultimately, bring us joy.

That Centurion Soldier really did have the secret. Faith. Knowing God is capable and that He truly wants what's best for us. All we have to do is believe He will do what He said He would.

And reap the rewards.