Matt listened intently while Miss Julia waved her arms as if she had visited the world she described. “Adam saw the animals,” she said, “and gave them names. In the cool of the evening, God walked with Adam in the beautiful garden called Eden.” She explained to Matt and his classmates how God was always present, even if they couldn’t see him.
If God was always present, shouldn’t people know what he looked like? Matt thought about that. Across the aisle, both Susie and Billy appeared to be kinda confused.
“Now, children,” Miss Julia said, “let’s draw something from God’s garden.”
With crayons and paper, everyone began to draw.
Matt tried to cover the paper with his left arm. He didn’t want anybody to see what he was drawing until after he was finished.
Miss Julia walked up from behind and looked over Matt’s shoulder. She had a curious smile. “What are you drawing?”
“God,” Matt said flatly as he reached for another crayon. Why was she being so nosy?
Miss Julia’s baffled look said she either didn’t believe him or didn’t understand.
Either way, Matt had no choice but to answer. “It’s a picture of God . . . so Susie and Billy won’t have to guess what he looks like.”
Children have the unique ability to believe without seeing, trust without knowing, and follow without explanation. Like Matt, we may never know all the details, but through the life of Christ, we can know enough about God to sense who he is. If we walk with him for a while, we might find a few good words to describe what is largely indescribable.
Jesus said, “Philip! Have I been with you so long and you still do not recognize who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you ask me to show him to you?” – John 14:9