Child's Proof

Child's Proof -

     The doubting preacher came to church one Sunday not to preach, but to learn.
For months this man of God had found himself overwhelmed with sadness because of his recent fall of sin and was growing unsure of his faith. One Sunday the doubtful preacher let his student perform the sermons to the congregation while he going through these trials. Without explanation he stumbled off, and began to walk down the church stairs to the Sunday school class. He thought he would let the children remind him why God is real.
       He taught the class, he laughed, and was filled with joy being surrounded by innocents.
He was saying his goodbye's to the children as their parents came to pick them up, when he saw something different in one boy he had known for a long time. Usually this child was a ball of fire, he asked a lot of questions, and he wore a smile proudly like a badge from heaven. However today, there was a cloud over him.
     The preacher knelt down and asked the boy "Is everything alright?", lowering his head he boy replied, "I'm sad because God isn't real". The emotion of heartbreak was so overwhelming for the preacher, it seemed it was as if he caused the child's pain himself. "Where did you hear that?", said the preacher, "My teacher told me that God wasn't real". A whirlwind of emotions came to the preacher's heart. He was literally, and spiritually speechless.
     Suddenly the child raised his voice and shouted, "But he is real! I know he is! You said so!". "But, I don't know what to say to him. I have to help him, what should I say?". The doubting preacher searched his soul for the right words. He knew that what he said to him would have an effect on this child for he rest of his life. "Well... Pray. Just pray. Ask God what He thinks you should say". He felt more defeated than ever. The preacher thought it was just a cowardly Christian cop out. But like a switch, the boy's smile once again lit the room back up as if they were just the words he needed to hear.
     A week passed, and the doubting preacher still had not regained his once strong faith. If anything it was getting weaker. So he returned to teach the children for another week. Once again after class and saying his goodbyes, the same boy approached him. This time with a letter in his hand. "My teacher told me to give this to you". The letter contained countless articles, quotes, and pictures. All for the evidence of evolution, disproving the existence of God, and a note containing one question, "Where's your proof?". The boy again asked the preacher what he should say, and the preacher again replied with the same answer. "Well...Pray. Ask God what He thinks you should say". This went on for two more Sunday school classes. More letters from the teacher, and the same answer from the preacher. He just could not bring himself to say anything else.
     The following Sunday morning, the preacher made a decision. After hours of prayer and still no answer, his faith failed him. He was going to teach one last Sunday school class, and renounce his faith to his congregation. He sat at a desk in the classroom with his face buried in his hands. Dreading his confession to the congregation upstairs. The classroom door opened. The boy he knew came walking into the class but not holding his mom's hand, but a man he'd never seen before. The boy introduced him as his teacher.
     Before the doubting preacher could tell him thank you and how right he was, the teacher blurted out a series of rambling complaints. "You think you're pretty smart don't you? You should be ashamed of yourself! You can brain wash these kids, but what I don't get....Over and over I give you facts, findings of the worlds greatest scientific minds, and you disproved every one of them! What are your sources? How did you get a child to argue so, so... logically?".
     The doubting preacher became speechless again. "I don't understand", he said in a daze. "You know what, it doesn't matter. You still have not answered my question sir, where is your proof?". The preacher looked down to ask the boy but he had left. Laughing, smiling, and playing like he used to.
     The once doubting preacher looked at the teacher and said, "I didn't tell him anything He didn't already know. Just to pray and ask God what He thinks he should say. So I suppose the fact that this child knows better than you, well... that's proof enough for me".
Amen

Matthew 19:14