If you have children then you know the amount of noise that can come from the backseat of your car. Often it is annoying because someone is looking at someone back there, breathing their air, or crossing the invisible line separating them. A lot of the time I get to hear my children worshiping along with the radio. I love hearing them sing and am often amazed at how well they know the words and melody of so many songs. Then there are those defining moments when they speak something so profound you wish that it was recorded.

I have had those moments with my own children but never someone else’s until a few Sundays ago. I had dropped my daughter off at church early so she could practice for a song the children’s choir was preforming for Father’s Day. As I was leaving the sanctuary, I saw James sitting in the back playing on a phone. I also have a 6-year old boy, so I asked James if he wanted to come hang out at our house until church started. His mom allowed him to come as long as I was willing to tame his wild cowlicks before bringing him back.

In so many ways, James is a typical 6-year old boy. He is rowdy and loud. He loves his Mama and is easily bored. What is not typical about James is he isn’t allowed to make a mistake. He isn’t allowed to ever “act up”, get in trouble, look unkempt, and the list goes on. Don’t worry, James doesn’t have the meanest parents ever. In fact, his parents know he is all those things. So who puts all these strict expectations on James? The world. You and I. Sadly, it has nothing to do with James at all. It is because of who James’ dad is. His dad isn’t a famous movie star or athlete. It’s worse. James’ dad is a preacher. Heaven forbid a preacher’s kid mess up in any way.

Anyhow, we are driving back to my house and James is talking up a storm. I am trying to keep up with the conversation and the cute grammatical errors typical of a little boy, when James starts talking about his Fidget Spinner. Apparently, he is an expert on them and informed me of all the types and how many he has. I asked him how he can afford all those spinners since he doesn’t have a job. I meant it as a joke to make him smile. I wasn’t expecting his response. The following is a paraphrase of what James said that Sunday morning; my perfect, unexpected, backseat sermon from an imperfect child.

Well, I do chores. I have bought 17 spinners, well maybe not really that many. (Giggles) I was cleaning up the backyard the other day to get some cents to buy another one. As I was cleaning, I recognized (yes, he used that word) that I could do this for other people and then tell them about Jesus. I am gonna learn to cut wood and make playgrounds. I can learn how to make other yards look good and fun for kids. Then when I am there I can tell them about Jesus. I like helping people and wouldn’t that be so fun, Miss Kitty? Why don’t people just do what they love to help others? Why do people be greedy? (I had no answers and I don’t think he really wanted or needed one.) I picked (pronounced as two syllables) up the yard and thought how Jesus cleans up the yard in our heart. I want to help people get clean hearts, but ya gotta have fun too. Daddy gave me 65 cents for cleaning the yard. I decided not to buy another Fidget Spinner. I had fun making the money and I recognized that God gave me that fun in my heart, so I gave all my money to the offering. It was all in cents though. Do you think God will be mad that it was only cents?

Through my tears and shaky voice, I reassured James that God delighted in his offering of all his cents. I told him how his offering was worth more than gold to God. I told him how proud God was that he recognized the needs of the world around him. James just smiled his ear-to-ear grin that lights up his eyes and melts his mama’s heart. In that moment, I was sad, glad, overwhelmed, and broken. I pray that the world doesn’t suck that light out of James. I pray that the ridiculous expectations put on James by the world does not blind him to the needs of this world. I pray that the world will let James be a little boy.  I pray that James will always be willing to give all his cents to God.

My dad is a machinist. He runs a CNC machine. I have no clue how to do that. My husband is a carpenter, but none of our children can make a miter cut and hang crown molding. Would you expect a nurse’s child to be able to start an IV? So, why should James be required to be a perfect child just because his dad preaches about a perfect Savior?

If we should live in the shadow of anyone, it should be our heavenly Father. What a beautiful message I would have missed had I focused on all the grammar errors and run-on sentences James used while telling me about his chores and cents. How many moments and people do we miss out on because of our expectations? I really didn’t expect James to talk to me as much as he did. It isn’t easy being stuck in the car with an old person when you are 6.  I did expect him to be loud and excited to play with my son and he was.

I have thought about the words of that little boy for weeks now. But it was the last question he asked that still burns in my heart. “Do you think God will be mad…?” Regardless of what James’ dad does for a living, James still needed to be reassured of The Father’s love and approval of him. Don’t you want that reassurance? Don’t you want to know that your “cents” made God happy? Don’t you want to make a difference in the world? Don’t put expectations on others that you can’t carry yourself.

If God can use sinners like King David, Moses, Mary Magdalene, Paul, and Peter; He can surely use a 6-year old boy. And, He can surely use people with unrealistic expectations of others like you and me. Lay down your expectations and listen with your ears and your heart. It may all make “cents” if you do.