This evening at supper my son said he had a stomach ache. I figured it was because he didn’t want to eat what was on his plate, and I made a comment about how much juice he had been drinking instead of eating his meat. But he wanted to pray about it, so everybody stopped while he prayed for his stomach not to hurt.

Later, after he finished loading the dish washer, he remarked “Hey, my stomach feels all better!” I made a comment about how washing the dishes was good for hurting stomachs. He stopped and turned to face me. Looking straight in my eye, he said “No Dad, its because I prayed.”

Later, when we were doing our bed time prayers, he thanked God for healing his stomach, and prayed earnestly that if anybody else should have any pains that God would heal them too.

I had to stop and think. Where did my faith go? Our family prays all the time. We pray when someone doesn’t feel good. The kids pray for my day, and I pray for theirs. We ask each other to pray for things on our minds. When we hear sirens we stop and pray for whoever they are going to help. Even with all the prayer, my faith is too feeble.

I know that God answers prayer. I’ve seen it too many times to deny. I can see it in the big things. God has blessed us so thoroughly, been so consistently faithful, met us in our need so repeatedly. I know it. I can see it. I can reach out my hand and touch God’s hand on our lives. I don’t have any problem seeing it in the big things of life.

But in the little things of life, I struggle to believe. Was it God that made me feel better, or a more “natural” cause? As I write that I know its a silly distinction. God is here in the “natural” causes. But its hard to not see cynicism creep into my life.

Can you relate to that? Do you pray, but then mark it up to mundane causes when what you pray for comes about?

Where did my faith go? I want a faith like my son. So sure, in the little things. To trust God in the little and the big things of life. I want a faith like that.