Confidence of a Child

Welcome to Word for the Week, the series in which I:

share my experience of hearing God’s Word in Mass last weekend,
explore what I believe the Lord is calling me to do about that Word, and
ask how this Word might impact your life, as well.

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Last Sunday, our pastor started talking about the theme of the Mass before we even got into the readings. He explained that “confidence” tied all of it together. He preached about St. Therese of Lisieux in the homily, and about the confidence of her trust in God’s love.

I grinned when he mentioned the Little Flower (that’s my favorite of St. Therese’s nicknames). The previous Wednesday, I had written and recorded a new song meant to be from this young saint’s perspective. When I told a friend about the song, she had asked me, “What’s one thing that stands out to you about St. Therese?” And my answer was, “Confidence.”

To hear the same word repeated at Mass, and with the Little Flower as the model, was a joy.

Two Sundays back, I also was at our home parish. We are settling into one parish lately, instead of bouncing between neighboring communities. The consistency is exciting for David—he’s so steady, and a predictable schedule sets him at ease. In spite of my penchant for spontaneity, I admit attending the same Mass each week helps foster relationships.

The word that stood out to me was “sing for joy,” that week (Psalm 90:14). So, as I tried to sing in the studio, like St. Therese would pray, the words became a prayer of joyful confidence. Yes, I was requesting something of the Lord through the lyrics. But I felt inspired ( #HolySpirit ) to sing as though God already answered. To tie my Word for the Week together from the past two Sundays (both “sing for joy” and “confidence”), I’ll close with the lyrics.

I’ll invite you to imagine the scene in the gospels where Jesus lets the little children come gather around him. What would it be like to run up to Jesus, to sit on his lap, to hear his laugh? Therese always described herself as a child in the eyes of God. This is how my heart tries to hold the same idea:

“Little Again”

Verse 1
I don’t think I was such a great kid / I grew up too fast
My dad tied to stop it / But my youth wasn’t destined to last
You say, be like a child to catch the heavenly / What about someone like me?

Chorus
Make me little enough / To see the world as big and grand
Let me know how small I am / Make me little again

Verse 2
Spring would lose its loveliness / If every flower wanted to be a rose
I could be a daisy / At the back of the garden
You say, be like a child to catch the heavenly / What about someone like me?

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