There is a famous quote by Leonardo da Vinci about beginnings that gives context to the story you are about to read. It goes like this, "The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness..." Just like at the beginning of the world described in Genesis 1:1-3, it says, " In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
There was darkness, and then there was light. This was the beginning. The quote from da Vinci is great, but it fails to make the point that darkness is the absence of light, not a thing in and of itself.
On the day I met Addie for the first time, I had no idea what the next few months would bring. The shadow, the light, the wonder, the sadness, but now as I look back, I see that it was light that Addie reflected, not like a mirror but like a prism. Where he stood, light radiated, and there were no shadows-it was like the light penetrated all matter. The wonder of it was hidden for a while under blue jeans and a white t-shirt, but it did not take long to see glimpses of something wondrous.
You see, when Addie was just four years old, he had an encounter with Jesus. During that encounter, Jesus asked Addie, "What do you want?" Addie's answer exhibited the innocence of a child-willing to ask the impossible and expect to see the extravagant love of God manifest in his life.
Since that time, everywhere Addie went, lives were touched by the love of Jesus that flowed from the heart of this little boy. He believed what God's word said, and because of that, the miraculous was an everyday occurrence wherever Addie went. His childlike faith changed all who came into contact with him and provided a glimpse of the reality of Jesus in our everyday lives.
In Mark 10:15, Jesus says, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Age does not define us; we are defined by the way we walk through the life we have been given. As we become older, we often think, "I wish I had known that when I was younger."
This book endeavors to help children of God, of all ages, grasp the wonder of our salvation and to walk through our lives in a way that glorifies God and provides us with purpose and meaning.
We do not have to drown in the floods of uncertainty and hurt that this sinful world sends our way. Instead, like Addie, we can walk between the raindrops and retain our joy.
