What My 3 Year Old Taught Me About God

Lessons From Little Ones

A couple of months ago, we decided to sell our trailer. There were a few showings that didn’t pan out, but then a couple came by one evening. They seemed very interested but wanted to come back when it was light out. We agreed on a time and they were on their way.

When the day came, my wife and our oldest were out at an appointment. I stayed home with our youngest, who was 3 years old at the time.

As the couple pulled into the driveway, I told my son I was stepping outside to unlock the trailer. He said “okay,” and I went out. A minute later, I came back in, grabbed my coffee, and reclined on the couch while watching him work on a puzzle.

Then I remembered the trailer binder in the kitchen: the one with all the brake, heater, and fridge info. I quickly grabbed it and ran it out to the couple.

The Unexpected Breakdown

They were still poking around the trailer when I handed them the binder and gave a quick rundown. I was outside for maybe two minutes. But when I stepped back inside, I heard screaming.

I ran in (didn’t even kick off my shoes) and found him standing right where he had been playing.

I scooped him up and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

He cried out, “I didn’t know where you were!”

Clearly, He wasn’t physically hurt. He was scared. Deep down, he felt abandoned.

I pulled him close and held him as he sobbed into my shoulder. The whole thing had caught me off guard. I thought he’d remember where I had gone. Or that he’d climb onto the couch and look out the window like he normally does.

But in that moment, he looked up from his puzzle, and I was gone.

Desperate for the Father

After he calmed down, I lifted his face and asked, “Can you show me how to do that puzzle?” He jumped up right away and got back to work, eager to show me how it was done.

Moments later, the couple returned the keys and confirmed they wanted to buy the trailer.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened. My son needed to know where I was. In a matter of seconds, fear, confusion, and loneliness overwhelmed him.

And that’s when it hit me: Am I ever that desperate for the Father?

As the Psalmist writes,

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” – Psalm 42:1

• When I can’t sense God’s presence, do I cry out?
• Do I chase after Him like a child needing their dad?
• Or do I just go through the motions, assuming He’ll circle back eventually?

What if I woke up every morning with a longing for Him like that? What if I cried out to God like a 3-year-old who just wants to know his Father hasn’t gone far?

As Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew:

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:11

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• Have you ever felt lost or abandoned?
• Did you cry out to God in that moment?
• How did your Heavenly Father show up for you?