by Jackie Smith
A Little CHILD Shall Lead Them
T
HE SUMMER OF 2004 was a miraculous season for my began to pray as well. That day Caleb didn’t eat or even drink
family. I was to learn a very big lesson. My son, Caleb, anything until after 1:30, because he was “feasting on the Lord.”
who had just turned 9, came to me on a Thursday Those were his words. He wasn’t even hungry, and I knew why.
evening and told me he had been praying and that The next day I spent my fasting time in my room. I prayed
God wanted him to fast and pray for our family and our and read the Bible just as Caleb had done. I kept thinking of the
finances. We had been living on $62 a week because both my words “and a little child shall lead them,” because a little child
husband and I had become disabled and couldn’t work. I asked had led me to understand that fasting and prayer is just as
Caleb if he knew what fasting was, and this was his answer: important today as it was in Bible times.
“Yes, Mom, I know what fasting is. It’s doing without food and That Sunday our whole family went outside to get in our truck
spending that time with God in prayer and reading the Bible. and go to church. We were surprised to find our battery was dead.
God told me to fast tomorrow from 8 a.m. ’til 1 p.m.” None of our neighbors were home, and most of our friends had
Since I was sure Caleb knew what he was talking about, I already left for church, so we missed the morning services.
told him I wouldn’t fix food in the house until after 1 p.m. Later that afternoon, my aunt, who is on the church finance
Caleb kissed me and went to bed. committee, called to ask me if I had sent my tithes to church
The Lord began to deal with my spirit, and I heard a voice that morning. I told her no, that we had planned to come but
inside say, “You know, your son, who is a new Christian, is couldn’t because our battery was dead. She explained the reason
doing something you, who have been a Christian for about 19 she was asking was that there was a plain white envelope in the
offering that had my name on it, and the words
“Give to” on the front of it. No one recognized
the writing, and no one had seen it being
dropped into the offering.
A friend stopped by and gave us a jump start,
so Caleb and I went to church that night. The
service was already in progress when we arrived.
The church secretary motioned for me to come
to the back of the church and gave me the enve-
lope. The finance committee had counted the
money and had written the amount on the out-
side of the envelope. There was $108 in the enve-
lope along with a note that said, “Love, Jesus.”
I went back to my pew as tears fell. I leaned
over and whispered in Caleb’s ear the amount we
had received. He immediately raised his hands,
and as tears streamed down his face, he praised
Jackie Smith with the Lord with his whole heart and soul.
her son, Caleb
Why that amount, I don’t know, but that was
more than enough to get a new battery for the
years, haven’t done at all, and that’s fast and pray for Me to truck and even take Caleb out for pizza, which we hadn’t been
move in your finances.” able to do in months. We also put back enough to help through
I felt guilty and ashamed, so I promised the Lord I would fast a few rough spots we hadn’t anticipated.
for the same amount of time, but I would fast something that I look back on this with great faith. I have heard all my life
meant more to me than food, and that was television. “A little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6) and “Out of the
So the next morning I got up about 8:30 and went back to mouth of babes . . .” (Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:16) but never real-
Caleb’s room to see if he was even awake. What I saw made my ized the depth of their meaning until this experience. I was led
heart swell with pride and my spirit soar. I saw my 9-year-old by a child, my own, and now I have a stronger bond with my
lying prostrate on his bed before the Lord, crying out for his heavenly Father because of it.
family, and praising God for what He had already done. I quietly
went back down the hall and into the living room, where I Jackie Smith shares her inspiring testimony from Austin, Indiana.
14 EVANGEL • MAR 2008
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