Coloring with God

Sometimes, I get stuck in my conversations with God. I find myself right there on the hillside with Jesus’ disciples asking him again and again “Lord, teach me to pray.”

 It’s a sweet place to be – though it doesn’t always feel that way in the moment. Not knowing is like that. But Jesus tells us that in order to know him we must become like little children who are not afraid to admit what they do not know.

 Maybe that’s why I often find my mind flashing back to interactions with my nephew when I get stuck in my prayer life. When I need reminding how to engage with the God who made me again. I see my sweet four-year-old little nephew and my heart swells. 

 I’m reminded that’s just a glimpse of how our Father God feels toward us. His heart swells at the very thought of us. How precious are your thoughts toward me…more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore. (Psalm 139)

My nephew and I are just beginning to learn how to have conversations with each other. He’s only four, and I love talking to this little boy.

I remember one day we were sitting on the floor coloring together, and Julian just starts telling me what he’s doing.

“I’m coloring God’s mouth,” he said. He was coloring in a Bible story coloring book and it was a picture with Jesus in it. So as he’s going about his artistry, he let me know what he’s doing: “Auntie Connie, I’m coloring God’s mouth.” 

It took everything in me not to laugh. I loved the thought of it. I feel like there should be some deep truth that often comes “out of the mouths of babes.” But there wasn’t. 

He was just telling me what he was doing.

And he was revealing that he also didn’t understand who God is. Just like us. “I’m coloring God’s mouth.” Just going about my daily life. And I don’t understand God either.

As an adult, a pastor, a Bible student, a teacher, a preacher – fill in the blank – sometimes I’d like to think that I do understand God. But I don’t. 

I’m just like Juilan – coloring God’s mouth. Sitting and trying to understand a God who is both invisible and became visible (John 1:14). A God who put on human flesh. Who sits on the floor with me to color. And lets me explore him like a little child.

So there we were, Julian and I, on the floor coloring God’s mouth. Just talking about what we were doing together. 

That is prayer. That is the way of intimate conversation with God. Prayer is simply talking to God about what we’re doing together (Dallas Willard).

Julian told me all about what had happened the days before – seeing deer in his yard, hearing his mom call out to the dog (who was excited about the deer) – just talking about what he’s doing, what he’s seeing, what happened. All while coloring God’s mouth in a book on the floor. 

Unless you become like a little child you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:3)

Lord, teach us to pray.

Out of the mouths of babes you have ordained praise. (Matt. 21:16)
Amen.

Making space for conversation with God? The Unveiled Cohort is a great place to walk out that journey in community with other women.

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