How do we know God is real when we can't see Him?

This was the question I posed to my Vacation Bible School kids on Thursday morning. The theme for the day was to BELIEVE. We had talked about how many things are easier to do when you can actually see them. But, sometimes, you have to have faith and believe in things you can't see.

So...I asked the kids (all just having finished up kindergarten) to ponder how we know God is real, even though we can't see Him.

The very first child who I called on answered, "Because they told us that in church." Admittedly, that made me chuckle just a little.

I then asked a variety of questions to try to pump them for more answers. One of the children then said, "Because God gave us love." I thought that was sweet.

But, even sweeter was when little Emma quietly raised her hand. She has been one of the quietest of the children this week. Often, when she wanted to say something, she would speak so softly that I had to lean in and it was like she was talking to only me. However, this time, although she still looked so serene, she also looked so very sure of her words, which were spoken with all the force she had as she motioned to us all sitting on the old wooden school floor and said, "Because God is with us...right here...right now." I have to admit, I wasn't even sure what I wanted to say. Her young eyes had scanned around the whole circle as if she was letting anyone who might doubt that truth know -- He really was in that room with us.

I wish I could say that I had something wonderful to say after she made her decree, but I didn't. All I could do was smile and nod as I looked into her face and saw her sureness, I replied, "Yes, Emma, He really is." And, I believed it. At that moment, I knew God really was in that room with us. And I knew that He was speaking to us through a quiet, pig-tailed girl named Emma.